Nightfall
by BreadThief98
Summary: A series of oneshots that take place after "Twilight of the Apprentice." Rated T for mentions of blood, injuries, violence and PTSD and (assumed) character death. WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS!
1. First Night

_**WARNING: CONTAINS HEAVY SPOLIERS! IF YOU WISH TO AVOID SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON FINALE, RUN! RUN AWAY!**_

* * *

 _ **So, this is my coping mechanism for the tearfest that was the Season 2 Finale. I will do my best to keep this going, but it is going to be a bit different. This little series won't be like Biological Emergency where I update constantly. Updates will come as I get ideas for oneshots. However, suggestions and ideas are welcome in the comments. Once we get a trailer for Season Three, I will try to rope those ideas in as well. I plan to keep this going until the Season Three Premiere, where I will wrap this series up. Needless to say, once we get a trailer, this will not fit very well with canon, but I will do my best.**_

* * *

 _Summary: The first night is always the hardest. It's a small comfort when nothing will be easy ever again._

 _Takes place after Kanan and Ezra return to Chopper Base but before the holocron scene._

* * *

That first night was the first of many long and hard nights. No one got out of that temple unscathed. Whether it was physically or mentally, everyone paid a price. Ahsoka with her life, Kanan with his sight, Ezra... Kanan knew Ezra was affected mentally, and not in a good way. Ezra hadn't uttered a word since they had arrived back on Chopper Base. Kanan wanted Ezra to go back to normal. He wanted this entire mess to be just a dream but Kanan knew otherwise. Ezra would never be back to normal. Not after what happened. Kanan knew he shouldn't have been thinking like that, but he could sense how broken the boy was. He blamed himself for everything. His best quality, one that had taken so long to dig up after the years of being on the streets, had betrayed him. Maul had used the right words and it cost him his own self. Ezra was unscathed, but his emotional state suffered far more than Kanan ever could physically.

There was no way anyone was getting any sleep that night, so Kanan decided that it was the perfect time to check on his padawan and practice his Force Sight. He most certainly needed it now. He also needed to make sure Ezra wasn't alone. Who knew what state his padawan would be in come morning?

Kanan sat up and was able to sense the edge of the top bunk before he was able to smack his head on it.

Good. That was a start.

Using the Force to guide him, Kanan carefully made his way to the room he shared with Zeb. "Ezra? Zeb?" Kanan was met with silence. He reached out with the Force but there was nothing. The room was empty.

The Force flickered for a moment. Kanan straightened up and traced it back to his broken padawan. He sensed despair, guilt, fear. Kanan followed the presence as quickly as he could. His search led him to the engine room and he almost ran into the door. Kanan would have to work on sensing doors, but for now, he needed to help Ezra before he drowned himself in his suffering. He entered the room quietly and scanned the area with the Force. He could sense Ezra curled up in a ball right by the engine. His shaky breaths made Kanan assume that he was trembling. Kanan knelt down and slowly placed a hand on his padawan's shoulder. The form under his hand jumped and Kanan could feel him curl tighter.

"Get...out..." Ezra mumbled. "Leave...me...alone..." "I'm not going anywhere Ezra," Kanan replied, trying to not get overly excited about the fact that Ezra was talking. "Not until I know you're okay." "Get...out...of...my...head..." That made Kanan pause. Was Ezra even all there? Was he even aware of what was happening? Kanan began to doubt Ezra was lucid. Blast, if only he could assess Ezra's condition properly. Kanan's thoughts were broken by Ezra hissing in pain followed by slapping noises that could only be Ezra's hands flying to his head.

"GET OUT!"

Darkness swarmed the teenager's mind. Panicking, Kanan carefully lowered himself to the ground and dove into Ezra's consciousness. The blue light that was Ezra was struggling against a more menacing red light. Maul... _"Get out of his head,"_ Kanan told the former Sith Lord. _"You're not taking him away from me again."_

The red light paused. _"You underestimate the boy's power. It will be your downfall. It's his fault your friend is gone. And it's his fault you are no longer able to see. Why not kill him yourself? You'll feel better afterwards knowing the one who caused your downfall is dead."_

Ezra cried out in terror. "Please! Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry!"

Maul's words and Ezra's reaction filled Kanan with rage. _"Get out Maul,"_ he growled. _"Or I will crush you."_

Maul scoffed. _"As if you can lay a hand on me Jarrus. Fear not. I will come for the boy soon enough. You will no longer have to deal with that failure of a padawan."_ The red light faded out and Ezra's trembling faded into sobs. Kanan was met by darkness yet again as he came out of meditation. He placed a hand back on Ezra's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" Ezra didn't answer. And all Kanan could feel was fear. "Ezra, I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you. And Maul is never going to touch you again. I may be blind now, but I am not giving up on you. We're going to get through this." Once again, Kanan was met with no answer. Kanan sighed and rubbed Ezra's arm in a feeble and futile attempt to comfort the shaken padawan. He didn't quite trust himself carrying him at the moment, so he gently pulled Ezra to his feet, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders and tugging him close.

Kanan sensed his way to his room and about thirty seconds later, a hand stopped him. The door swished open and Kanan chuckled, knowing Ezra had stopped him from running into the door...again. "Thanks kid." He got Ezra situated on the bottom bunk, knowing if the nightmares hit or if Maul came back, falling out of be wouldn't help Ezra at all.

Now, where was Kanan going to sleep?

"Everything okay?"

Kanan turned around, Hera's presence bright and beautiful. "Maul just attacked Ezra," Kanan replied. "He's okay though. I...figured he should stay in my room in case it happens again. Can you please pull the bedroll down from the top bunk?" Hera hummed in agreement and a few seconds later, Kanan heard the soft scraping noise of fabric on metal and the soft thud of the bedroll hitting the ground. "Three steps forward," Hera stated. Kanan nodded, muttering a thank you. He felt Hera's arms wrap around him and a pair of lips gently pressing the side of his face. The arms disappeared and seconds later, Kanan sensed warmth and safety from Ezra. Hera must have hugged him as well.

"Now both of you get some sleep," Hera stated. "If you need me, comm me, but its 0400 hours and I don't want to see either of you leave this room until at least 1000, clear?"

"Crystal," Kanan replied, somewhat glad Hera still had her mother hen mode. The door slid open and shut and the room was quiet.

Ezra was still awake. Kanan could tell by the boy's ragged breathing. After adjusting the bandage over his eyes, he sat up and after getting an idea of how Ezra was positioned, he grabbed his hand and brushed dark strands of hair away from his face. "Everything's going to be okay Ezra. I promise."

* * *

 ** _I really hope I did blind!Kanan correctly. This is my first time writing a character who is blind and writing a complex character such as Kanan is hard enough. It will take some getting used to so please bear with me._** **_The finale...don't even get me started. I was a mess! A mess! I did enjoy it though. I do believe Ahsoka is alive and I don't think Kanan will stay blind forever. I wouldn't be surprised if Ezra ends up having some issues regarding his emotional state. What Ezra went through in that temple isn't something he can't just shake off. Does anyone agree? (On another note, does anyone else hope for a time skip?) I hope you enjoyed! If you did, you know what to do!_** **_Until Next Time!_**


	2. Star Burnt Out

_**So uh... I'm kind of sad that Season Two is over and there will be no more Rebels until fall... What am I saying, I'M VERY SAD! So, I will pay it forward. MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _When Ezra attempts to open the holocron, he realizes that he is no longer who he once was. Takes place during the holocron scene at the very end of "Twilight of the Apprentice."_

* * *

Ezra stared at the holocron in his hands, a vacant look in his eyes.

 _"This is all your fault, you know,"_ a small voice told him.

It was. Everything that had happened happened because he blindly trusted a Sith Lord. A Sith Lord! What was he thinking?

 _"No one is ever going to forgive you."_

Kanan kept telling him that it wasn't his fault. Ezra didn't buy it. If it weren't for him, Ahsoka would still be alive. Kanan would still be able to see. It should have been him. Kanan should have just let go when Vader tried to grab him. He should have just let Vader kill him. Maybe then he could have atoned for what he had done.

 _"You are a failiure. A mistake."_

He once again stared at the pyramid shaped box in his hand. Maul's words echoed in Ezra's head. _"To open a Sith Holocron, you must be a Sith...or think like one."_

Kanan always told him that once the Dark Side consumed you, the person you once were died, leaving behind a shell.

He was absolutely right.

The Ezra Bridger that everyone knew before Malachor had died. He died alongside Ahsoka, murdered by his guilt and his actions. He was forever changed. He didn't care what happened to him now. He no longer care whether he lived or died. He just wanted to make up for his wrongdoing.

And this was the first step.

Ezra focused on the box in his hand.

He was afraid of who he had become. He was terrified of losing his family. He was afraid of Maul and what he would do to him should he get ahold of him again.

 _"You're just a sniveling child. Not so brave now are you?"_

The box began to float and a cold feeling washed over Ezra's body.

He was angry. Furious even. Why did Kanan have to lose his eyes? Why did Ahsoka have to die? Why did Ezra get out unscathed? Why did everyone have to forgive him? Ezra was angry that he was alive and well. He should have been the one blinded. He should have been the one who died. It was his fault and his alone.

 _"It should have been you."_

The box hovered in front of him. Ezra focused harder.

He hated Yoda for telling him to go to that blasted place. He hated Maul for taking away Kanan's sight and starting all this. He hated Vader for killing Ahsoka. And most of all, he hated himself.

 _"Your hate towards yourself is justified. You might as well have swung the saber yourself."_

The box began to open and Ezra felt colder and colder.

He was suffering, drowning in his guilt. Drowning in who had become. Becoming fully light was impossible. Becoming fully dark was unthinkable. He would have to become both. It was the only way to survive.

Ezra opened his eyes. They flashed red for a moment, before going back to their normal blue.

The holocron opened and a flash of light engulfed the room.

They got the knowledge. Now, Ezra had to atone. No matter what it took, Ezra would make things right.

* * *

Kanan didn't need his sight to know Ezra had done it.

He heard the holocron open.

He felt the pain Ezra felt. He felt the darkness inside him.

Kanan turned his head towards where Ezra's presence was faded, tired, muted with sadness and despair. His heart clenched, feeling helpless against Ezra's suffering.

If Kanan's eyes were still in tact, he would have shed a tear.

His shining star had burnt out.

* * *

 _ **I think I got everyone in the feels. Sorry this is so short. Hopefully the next one will be longer.**_

 _ **Five bread points to whoever can guess where the last sentence came from. (PS. It's in one of my fics). I know the actual terminology is brownie points, but I'm Bread Thief so its going to be bread points. I am going to put a poll up on my profile that will ask which character you want to see featured next. I will gladly welcome suggestions and ideas as I am very prone to writer's block.**_

 _ **Until Next Time!**_


	3. Unwelcome Spectrum

_**Happy Hiatus Hump Day! This one doesn't have Ezra in it, but he is talked about. I don't ship it, but if you squint and tilt your head slightly, there might be traces of Ezrabine. However, it can also be seen as space family love. This oneshot is centered and Kanan and Sabine and their father daughter relationship. This is also me making a feeble attempt to write Sabine in character. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Sabine paints, but she notices things have changed since Kanan and Ezra returned. Takes place one week after the end of the finale._

* * *

Sabine was never the social type. Even before she joined the Imperial Academy, she spent hours holed up in her room with her face in her sketchbook. Now, she had a perfectly good reason behind her lack of social qualities.

After she ran away, she became a bounty hunter with her best friend and partner, Ketsu Onyo. After Ketsu...left, Sabine built up a wall. When Hera found her and took her in, those walls began to slowly fall, the key word being slowly.

Even though she and Ketsu had settled their differences and Sabine now had a new family, those walls were still crumbling.

That meant more time in her room, adorning the walls with her various paintings.

As the Mando girl finished her latest picture of Kanan, with his eyes of course, she turned to the drawing she finished shortly after Kanan and Ezra returned from Malachor, a picture of fireworks adorning a night sky. Every color was there but one. Upon inspecting it, Sabine raised a teal eyebrow. She turned to another painting, one of her usual stormtroopers with a bright red circle and a slash. She found a similar picture that she drew after the two Jedi returned. They were the same except the recent one had a pink slash over it.

Then it hit her.

After Malachor, there was no red.

It must have been a subconscious decision, one knowingly made in the back of Sabine's head without her knowledge.

Perhaps it brought back some bad memories from the past. Red reminded her of the Sith Holocron that destroyed Ezra. Red reminded her of the so called former Sith Lord that was described to her by Kanan when he explained what had happened. Red reminded her of the Inquisitors, of Vader.

Red would not be welcome for a while.

Perhaps someday, Ezra would be talking, laughing again. Heck, seeing the kid smile again would bring her to tears. But Ezra was changed. The color red had changed him, and Sabine hated it.

She wanted Ezra to flirt with her, even though he rarely did that after a while. She wanted him to comment on her drawings, with his eyes darting back and forth nervously. She wanted her little brother back.

Before Ezra, Sabine did not know what she was missing. With Ezra, she was introduced to a brighter world, a brighter spectrum of colors. Suddenly, her world was changed. Kanan came back blind. Ahsoka did not come back at all. Worst of all, Ezra came back a shell of the boy she grew to love. Sabine had greeted a side of the kid that she never wanted to see, an unwelcome spectrum.

Pushing the thoughts away, Sabine set her paint canisters aside and stepped out of her room and towards the fresher, where she scrubbed the excess paint off of her hands. As she left, she nearly ran into Kanan. She muttered an apology before turning towards the common room.

"Everything alright?" Kanan called.

"I'm fine," Sabine mumbled. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Kanan followed her to the common room. They sat down and Kanan reached carefully for Sabine's hand, squeezing it in reassurance. "Spill it."

Sabine sighed, her eyes beginning to burn. "I just want things to go back to the way they were before you and Ezra left."

"Me too," Kanan replied. "My eyes are gone, Ahsoka's gone, Ezra's..." His voice trailed off.

"Ezra's gone too..." Sabine muttered. "The Ezra we know anyway. I miss him. I miss his voice, his smile..." Sabine bit her tongue, and her eyes teared up upon realizing that Kanan would never see his padawan smile again. "I'm sorry..." she muttered quickly. "I-"

"You mean Ezra hasn't smiled?" Kanan cut off. "Not once?"

Sabine closed her eyes. "Not once. He's not speaking, he's barely even acknowledging us. It's like he's here physically but..."

"A part of him is still on Malachor," Kanan finished.

Sabine hummed in agreement, her lip trembling.

"Sabine," Kanan began, "Ezra's a tough kid. What happened on Malachor, it was bad enough to shake him up. He may never be the same again, but we can at least try to bring him home." Kanan wrapped an arm around Sabine and he felt the girl lean into him slightly, her body trembling with suppressed sobs. Kanan held her for a moment, letting her cry into his shoulder. After a few minutes, Kanan spoke. "Why don't you describe one of your paintings to me?"

Sabine let out a chuckle despire herself and wiped her eyes. "Now you're speaking my language," she answered, her voice shaky from crying. She described her paintings, every detail, every color.

Kanan smiled, trying to picture these paintings in his head. Thanks to the detailed descriptions provided to him, he could. As Sabine went on, Kanan noticed one missing color.

"No red?"

Sabine winced. She was hoping Kanan wouldn't catch that detail. "I... Red just doesn't feel right after what happened. Maybe someday I'll use it again but now..."

"That's understandable," Kanan replied. "We all need to recover in some way."

Sabine hummed in agreement once again. "Until then, there are always other colors out there."

"There's that positivity I missed," Kanan chuckled.

Red was an unwelcome spectrum, yet the ban was only temporary. The holocron, the sabers, the Empire. Red was too much at the moment. Someday, red would be welcomed back into Sabine's paintings. It would be a slow process, but it would be worth it. Just like her walls. Just like what it would take to get the little brother she never wanted back.

* * *

 ** _*casually doesn't mention that red is one of my favorite colors* I hope I wrote Sabine in character. She and Kanan are probably the two hardest characters to write, even before the finale. Don't forget to leave suggestions and love down below and make sure you check out my poll! As always, until next time!_**


	4. The Task at Hand

_**Before we get started, I wanted to clarify something from the second story in case I confused some of you. I know Sith eyes aren't red. I know that the red eyes came from the reflection of the holocron, but red is the color of a Sith lightsaber, and I think by doing that, the creators wanted to show that Ezra is now tainted by Maul. You will see that a lot, especially in this story where our not-so-favorite space cockroach meddles again. To be honest, all cockroaches end up squashed...eventually...and Rebels will probably be the one to do it.**_

 _ **Midnight Luna: I liked your idea. I plan on incorporating part of it soon. I have it written down and ready to use when the time comes. Part of it doesn't really fit into where I am planning to take this series, but I loved the other part. It fits perfectly into where I plan on taking this series. As soon as I reach a point where it fits, I'll use it. Thanks for all the love you've given my stories!**_

 _ **Now, I'm sure you're tired of my endless rambling, so let's start!**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Hera knew Ezra was bad off after Malachor, but she had no idea how bad it was until the incident. Takes place three days after Unwelcome Spectrum._

* * *

It was quiet in the common room. Hera had just given Kanan instructions on where his food was on his plate. Chopper, Zeb, and Sabine were on a supply run off world. And Ezra was in the turret, reading his datapad.

Or he was anyway. The door slid open and Hera looked up as the padawan entered the room. "Hey Ezra," Hera greeted. "You hungry? There's food in the kitchen. Better get it while it's hot." Ezra nodded and headed towards the kitchen. Suddenly, he stopped.

Kanan looked up. Hera couldn't get a clear look at his expression due to the bandages over his eyes, but she could tell something was wrong. She turned to Ezra and saw that his eyes were glazed over and he was beginning to hyperventilate. Kanan and Hera didn't need to speak. They both rushed towards Ezra right as he collapsed. "Get...out..." he mumbled.

"Not again..." Kanan breathed.

"What?" Hera replied. "What is it?"

Ezra was now curled up in a ball, mumbling to himself. "Get out...go away...leave me alone...no...no...no...NO!" The mumbling turned into sobs.

Kanan quickly lowered himself into a sitting position and went still. Hera's worry turned into panic as objects began levitating and swirling around them.

Ezra was having a panic attack.

Hera didn't hesitate. She knelt down next to Ezra and tried to lift him into her arms. However, she did not succeed. Ezra screamed and Hera was flung into the wall, the wind knocked out of her. Hera once again tried to approach Ezra. Right as she reached him, a plate collided with her forehead, knocking her clean out.

* * *

Kanan sensed Hera lose consciousness and heard her collapse in a heap. "Hera!" Kanan wanted to check on her, but he couldn't stop now. Kanan turned back to where Ezra's presence was flaring and tugged the boy into a sitting position, resting Ezra's head against his shoulder. He dove back into Ezra's head and found the blood red light slowly strangle Ezra's bright blue one. Enough was enough. Maul always found a way to smash through Ezra's mental barriers and there was only way to keep him out.

Kanan lunged forward, yanking Maul's presence away from Ezra's. Maul fought back and Kanan felt a searing pain through his head as Maul began to force him out. _"You honestly think you can protect the boy forever?"_

 _"I know I can't,"_ Kanan replied. _"But that doesn't mean I'll let you take him away from me."_

 _"He's mine Jarrus! I will come for him! It's only a matter of time!"_

Kanan focused harder and started to fight back against Maul. Ezra's presence flared in pain.

 _"The more you fight, the more pain Ezra will endure! Stop fighting and give up!"_ Maul sneered.

 _"Not until you stay away from him!"_ Kanan retorted. Suddenly, Ezra let out a blood chilling scream. It was enough to distract Kanan long enough for Maul to send violently flying out of Ezra's head. Kanan smashed through what was left of Ezra's shields and forced him out of meditation where he immediately lost consciousness.

Maul smiled as the meddling Jedi vanished. He saw Ezra's presence begin to cower. "Leave me alone..." he whimpered.

 _"I will come for you my apprentice,"_ Maul stated. _"Enjoy your time with your master while you can...that is if he doesn't hate you."_

 _"No..."_

 _"They all hate you,"_ Maul replied. _"You're the reason Jarrus can no longer see. You're the reason your friend Ahsoka Tano is dead. You're the cause of so much anguish. I honestly hope you can live with yourself."_

Maul could crush Ezra, eliminate what little personality he has left, destroy his mind and render him a mere droid. But he won't. That could wait. That could wait until Ezra was in his clutches. Until then, he would keep attacking, finding ways to control him.

As he withdrew from Ezra's mind, he smiled.

The boy would be his. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Hera woke up with a huge headache.

As she opened her eyes, she saw Kanan unconscious on the ground and Ezra curled up in a ball, his eyes closed. Hera rushed quickly to Kanan's side, deciding not to wake Ezra in case he went into another panic.

"Kanan? Kanan!"

Kanan groaned and sat up, holding his head. "What happened? Is Ezra okay? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but as for Ezra, I...don't know," Hera replied, turning to Ezra, who still appeared to be unconscious. "What happened? Did Maul get into his head again?"

Kanan nodded. "I think Maul might be the reason Ezra isn't getting any better." The Jedi let oit a sad sigh. "His signature is muted. Is he awake?"

"Doesn't look like it love."

Kanan scooted towards his padawan and gently shook him. "Ezra? Can you hear me?"

Ezra didn't stir. Kanan cursed. "He's out cold."

"Will he be okay?" Hera asked.

"I can try to wake him up, but it will take time and I will need someplace quiet."

"Do you need help carrying him?" Hera asked.

Kanan shook his head. "My Force Sight is getting better. I can see faint outlines now, so I think I can manage. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll live," Hera reassured. "I've had worse."

Kanan sighed as he lifted Ezra bridal style. "Just take it easy."

"You too."

The two went into Kanan's room without another word.

* * *

Using the Force to see, Kanan was thankfully able to take Ezra back to his room without much difficulty. He laid his padawan on the bottom bunk, where Ezra instantly curled up again. Kanan sighed sadly and yanked a blanket off the top bunk. Even though he was trying to wake Ezra, he had no idea how long it would take. The best plan was to make Ezra as comfortable as possible. He "stared" at the fuzzy blue signature for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed next to him and slipping into meditation.

Hera watched as Kanan sat still for what felt like hours even though it was only a few minutes.

 _"Why isn't Ezra waking up? What is going on?"_

Hera watched worriedly, the anxiety not helping her headache, which was dulling, but still there.

Her worries subsided when Ezra's cloudy blue eyes fluttered open and Kanan relaxed. Ezra looked sleepy, but he was awake.

"How are you feeling?" Kanan asked.

Ezra didn't even acknowledge Kanan's presence.

Hera didn't need Kanan's eyes to know he was worried. Kanan turned to the Twi'lek. "I'll handle this."

Hera nodded and slowly backed out of the room. She made her way to the common room that now looked like it had been ravaged by one of Lothal's tornadoes and began to clean up. She didn't care that she didn't have help. Ezra needed Kanan. Hera needed a distraction. As soon as the others returned, she would need to decide whether or not to explain what had happened, but that decision could wait.

For now, Hera just focused on the task at hand.

* * *

 ** _Curse you space cockroach._**

 ** _I'm not entirely sure about this one, but I don't think I can do anything more with it so here you go!_**

 ** _Where do I plan to take this you ask?_**

 ** _I was originally going to take it slow and wait until I have an idea of what was going to happen in season three. Yesterday, I finally said screw it and decided to take advantage of the creative freedom that comes with hiatus while I can. I'll risk those pesky canon-balls blowing holes in this series, but I won't have to think, "No, can't do that. That may get blown when the trailer comes" type thing._**

 ** _Hope you enjoyed! If you did, you know what to do._**

 ** _Until Next Time!_**


	5. Doctors and Devastation

_**I honestly have nothing to say at the beginning note, but please, please, please read the A/N at the end. It is rather important.**_

* * *

 ** _Summary:_** _The doctor told Kanan that he would never see again. The psychiatrist told Kanan that Ezra would never speak again. It was like Ezra didn't exist. Takes place six weeks after TOTA._

* * *

"I'm sorry Kanan," the medic said solemnly as she replaced the bandage over Kanan's eyes. "We've tried for weeks, but there's no way to save your eyes. We can order prosthetics, but it will take some time if it is at all possible."

"R-right..." Kanan mumbled, feeling like he was trapped in a nightmare. However, it was real. Unless they were able to get prosthetics, Kanan's sight was gone.

As he left the room, he made a right towards the hall where Ezra was being seen by a psychiatrist. Ezra had yet to speak even six weeks after Malachor and everyone was worried. Even Sato was worried to the point where he called for a specialist to come and examine him.

Kanan's Force Sight was getting better. Rather than relying on presences, he began to see outlines of what was there. He couldn't read facial expressions, just outlines of people, places, and emotions. He still had a long way to go before his Force Sight was perfect, but it was a start. However, he could barely see Ezra, which made him really worried.

When Kanan reached the psychiatrist office, he opened the door. The yellow outline of the psychiatrist straightened up upon seeing him enter. Ezra's dim blue outline refused to budge.

"Hey kid," Kanan said softly. He turned to the yellow outline. "May I sit with him? I'm technically his guardian."

The yellow light spoke. "Of course. I am Dr. Ranxong." the psychiatrist began as he reached for the outline of a clipboard. "May I speak to you in private before we continue?"

"Sure," Kanan replied as he followed Ranxong outside. "I was examining the boy," Ranxong began quietly, "and...he has yet to speak to me. Have you encountered this problem before?"

Kanan nodded. "He only talks when he is having a nightmare. He blames himself for everything. Losing Ahsoka, what happened on Malachor, he hasn't been doing well."

"You say he's been having nightmares. Has he been exhibiting any isolation? Panic attacks? Insomina?"

Kanan honestly had no idea how to answer that. "As far as I know. I can't exactly see what he's up to Doctor."

"Oh," the doctor's outline flared in embarrassment. "My sincerest apologies. Please, feel free to answer as best you can or ask someone else."

Kanan took the apology and continued. "Well, since I am a Jedi, I can sense how he feels. He's my apprentice, so we have a bond so to speak. I can feel what he feels and vice versa. I hope this isn't confusing. It is to most people."

"I think I understand. Do go on."

"There's no doubt he's been isolated. He wants to 'atone' so to speak, even though no ones blames him. As for insomnia, Zeb's mentioned that Ezra never sleeps anymore, and Hera once pointed out the bags under his eyes."

"And any panic attacks?" Ranxong asked

"He's had a few," Kanan replied. "He's also attacked someone accidentally before."

"Alright," Ranxong sighed. "Ezra is greatly traumatized by what happened. He can recover but it will take time. You'll need to be there for him and he may require therapy if he gets worse. As for Ezra's speech impairment, I would like to say that his condition has something to do with it but..."

"But what?" Kanan asked.

"I'm sorry," Ranxong replied. "but unless something changes, It is highly unlikely that Ezra will ever speak again. His mind is numb and he's lost the ability to respond."

But...that...that couldn't...no...

It wasn't fair!

IT WASN'T FAIR!

* * *

Kanan was both thankful and angry he no longer had tear ducts as he walked...well more like was led back to the Ghost.

Kanan could barely see Ezra's signature and he certainly lacked the ability to read facial expressions at the moment, if that was even possible.

Ezra's voice was gone.

Kanan would never see Ezra smile again.

Kanan would never hear Ezra's voice.

It was like Ezra didn't exist.

Kanan really wished he could cry properly.

When they got back to the Ghost, Ezra immediately vanished. Kanan went back to his room and began to meditate, hoping to offset the great emotional pain that replaced the inability to cry.

* * *

When Hera returned, she immediately went to the medbay and got fresh bandages for Kanan's eyes. She entered his room quietly and found him staring (hypothetically speaking) towards the ground.

She didn't need his eyes to know he felt defeated.

"What did they say?" she asked.

"Eyes are shot," Kanan began. "Unless they find prosthetics..." his voice trailed off, as if he were hiding something.

"And Ezra?" Hera asked, although she was honestly scared of what he would say.

"Ezra may never speak again. Hera, I can't see anymore. I can't see you, or Sabine, or Zeb. But Ezra... It's like he's not even there."

Hera's eyes welled up with tears. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can sense him right?"

"Barely..."

"But he's there."

"Hera, you don't understand. I can't see him. I can't hear his voice. I can barely sense him. Hera, it's like I lost him. In a way, I did..."

"But he's alive," Hera replied. "Love, Ezra is still here. As long as he's alive. As long as you and the others and I are still here, we will get him back. You can't give up on him when he needs you most."

Kanan was lost in thought for a moment. Suddenly, he stood up. "Where are you going?" Hera asked.

"To find my kid," Kanan replied.

"I'll go with you," Hera replied softly.

"Hera, please... I need to do this alone."

Hera heard the desperation in his voice and sighed. "Alright. Just be careful."

* * *

It was a few hours before Kanan found his padawan. He was laying down near the fence that ran along the fence, datapad in hand. The second Ezra sensed Kanan, he immediately turned it off.

"You doing okay kid?" Kanan asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. Ezra just stood up and began to walk away, but Kanan's hand stopped him. "Hey, how about we grab some food? I don't need my eyes to know you haven't eaten in days." Kanan felt Ezra flinch under his hand. "Wrong choice of words..." he mumbled. "I'm sorry." Ezra still didn't answer. "Look, Ezra, I know you haven't been doing well lately. Everyone's worried about you and...well...I...we...just want to make sure you're okay."

Ezra paused for a moment before throwing his arms around Kanan, somewhat relieved sobs escaping him. Kanan returned the hug just as quickly. Ezra's knees buckled from exhaustion and Kanan slowly lowered him to the ground, deep in thought.

If what the doctor said was true, then Kanan would never hear Ezra's voice again. His final words would be crying for Ahsoka as the temple collapsed around her. However, there was still a chance. Kanan had to keep on hoping Ezra would recover. He lost many people in his lifetime.

He wasn't adding Ezra to that list.

* * *

 _ **So, I currently have an Ahsoka centric story and a Zeb centric story in the works. I have a Rex story in my head, but it may not be centered completely on him. Of course, I will have to someday include something Chopper centric. That is a required thing. If you want to voice your opinion, be sure to vote in my poll! It helps me out knowing what people want!**_

 _ **On another note, there may not be an update next week. I am going to be very busy since apparently someone thought it was a great idea to have state standardized testing and AP Testing in the same week. I figured I'd give you all a heads up since I don't want to leave you hanging without an explanation. I will do my best, but I will not make any promises.**_

 _ **Finally, I am starting to run low on ideas. I could really use some help so feel free to leave suggestions down in the reviews. If they fit into what I have in mind, I will write it down and use it when it is time. I will also accept kindness and happiness. You guys encourage me to write more and I greatly appreciate each and every one of you! :)**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	6. Bottle

**_I'm back!_**

 ** _And I decided to update after all because of three reasons._**

 ** _Reason 1: I had time after all._**

 ** _Reason 2: It's Star Wars Day!_**

 ** _Reason 3: Last Saturday marked a huge milestone. We officially made it without Rebels for one month! Yay!_**

 ** _I have been paying attention to the polls, and to all you people wanting a Zeb fic, you patience is being rewarded! Here you go!_**

 ** _Beware of mentions of alcohol._**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _With what's happened, Zeb could really use a drink. Takes place one week after Doctors and Devastation._

* * *

Zeb sat inside the kitchen, staring at a bottle. He knew it was a bad idea. Hera would not be pleased if he got drunk, but with what happened, he deserved at least one moment of indulgence...right?

The Lasat sighed and opened the bottle. Everything was so messed up. He had to move into the Phantom in order to get any decent amount of sleep because of Ezra's nightmares. He knew the arrangement was only temporary, as Ezra would be moving into Kanan's room soon, but Zeb was more than content in the Phantom. His old cabin held way too many memories of the boy who emotionally died on that blasted planet. The drink burned going down Zeb's throat, and it held quite a kick, but it was perfect for forgetting.

Zeb found himself wishing he could bury his bo-rifle into the sleemos responsible for what had happened. Maul, Vader, especially Maul. Maul's action crippled one member of his family and turned another into a shell of a person. With Ahsoka gone, the fleet was in shambles. With Kanan's sight gone, the crew was in shambles. And he didn't even want to get started on the affect of basically losing his little brother.

A few hours later, Zeb's head was starting to pound. He was starting to feel the effects of being drunk and forgetting. It felt good, even though Zeb knew it was wrong. He had gone through two bottles of the stuff, and while that stuff was cheap, it was pretty hard to find. Hera would most definitely bite his head off if the stupid hangover didn't get him first. Zeb shook his head and grabbed a third bottle.

He really shouldn't be doing this.

Zeb felt like hell by the time he decided enough was enough. Three bottles of one of the strongest drinks in the galaxy would do that to you. He was going to go through absolute torture as a hangover was now inevitable. He could still think straight to some degree, but that was about it.

Zeb killed the next few minutes glaring at the table before he glanced at the chrono. 0300 hours. He really needed to go to bed. He was about to stand up, sights set on the small trash can he would definitely need come morning, when the door slid open.

Zeb looked up. "Ezra?"

Ezra looked outright exhausted. There were bags under his eyes and he was as pale as a sheet. He was thin, trembling, and he looked like he was ready to shatter at every given moment.

Zeb wanted to talk to him, but Kanan had already told him there would be no answer coming. Zeb wanted to scream when Kanan broke the news. Zeb told Ezra he would be back. This wasn't the bright eyed loth rat that watched the sunset with him that night that seemed so long ago even though it had only been seven weeks. Ezra wasn't back and Zeb wanted to rip his fur out in anguish.

Zeb's thoughts were broken by Ezra staring at the bottle. It didn't take a genius to know what the teenager was thinking.

"Uh uh." Zeb moved the bottle slightly away from Ezra. "It's bad enough I did this. Last thing I need to to have to take of you while we're both hungover."

Ezra didn't seem to listen. He reached out towards the bottle and Zeb swiped it out of arm's reach. "Karabast kid, I said NO!"

He was too rough. Zeb realized this the moment Ezra flinched and backed away, hurt in his eyes. Zeb sighed. "I'm sorry, but drinkin' won't solve anythin'. I am an idiot for thinkin' that and I'm goin' to get hell for it come morning."

Ezra stared at him for a moment as Zeb locked the bottle away for good measure. He stood up, wobbling a bit, and noticed the dark circles under Ezra's dull eyes. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked.

Ezra sighed and looked down. Zeb's face softened. "You couldn't, couldn't you?"

Ezra didn't respond instead, he grabbed Zeb's arm and pulled him away from the table.

"What are you doin' kid?" Zeb asked. Ezra dragged the Lasat all the way to where he had a bed set up in the Phantom. After giving Zeb a look that clearly told him to stay put, Ezra disappeared. Zeb groaned as the alcohol finally got to him and he collapsed onto the bed. A few minutes later, Ezra came in with a small trash can, an icepack that had yet to be activated, a few painkillers, a bottle of water, a pair of sunglasses, and Zeb's comlink. He set them in convenient locations and turned out the light before leaving.

Zeb shook his head. How exactly did Ezra how to help hangovers? Personally, he didn't want to know. With a soft chuckle, he closed his eyes, hoping he could sleep off the hangover.

* * *

When Zeb awoke the next morning, he had a headache, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. Zeb glanced at a nearby chrono. It was nearly 1100 hours.

Satisfied that he had slept off the hangover, Zeb got up and took the pain pills for good measure. He left the Phantom and made his way to the common room where-

He stopped walking almost immediately when he saw it. Kanan and Hera was talking silently, Hera's arm around a sleeping form that was positioned between them. Ezra was passed out on the couch, head resting on the Twi'lek's shoulder.

Zeb's shocked face turned into a grin.

"Finally got him to sleep huh?" he whispered.

Hera nodded. "Everything finally got to him. He's too out of it to have nightmares so he'll at least be rested. I see you're not hungover."

Zeb smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I...uh...slept it off I guess."

"Good, then you can help us get him to bed," Kanan replied with a grin as he adjusted the bandages around his eyes, motioning to his sleeping padawan. "We didn't want to risk waking him."

"Yeah. No problem," Zeb replied. "Nothin' can wake that up. He's out cold. How'd you do it?"

"We didn't," Hera chuckled. "We found him slumped on the table. Pretty cute actually." Zeb chuckled as Hera moved to let Zeb grab him.

"Put him in my room. Bottom bunk," Kanan said as he pushed Ezra towards the Lasat. "I'm going in there to meditate in a few minutes anyway."

Zeb nodded and placed the teenager over his shoulder. Ezra grunted at the movement, but didn't wake. Zeb carefully went into Kanan's room, and laid Ezra down. He noticed a discarded blanket on the top bunk and rolled his eyes. He yanked it off of the bed and threw it over Ezra before leaving the room.

* * *

 ** _I apologize for the anticlimacticness but I knew if I went further I would over do it._**

 ** _I now have an idea about where I want to go with this. I am milking every bit of freedom I have before canon takes over in July, meaning I may go into a bit of Season 3, and I will not rest until I have depleted your tissue boxes! MWAHAHAHAHAHAhahahaha...anyway... I heard that there will be a six month time skip between seasons two and three...and I'm already at two months. I know I said screw canon but...time skips are hard to ignore. Oh well._**

 ** _One more thing before I go. If need ideas for stories, don't hesitate to PM me. I love helping out with writer's block!_**

 ** _Hope you enjoyed! If you did, you know what to do!_**

 ** _Be sure to vote on my poll, (which I may reset soon) and leave ideas below!_**

 ** _As always, until next time!_**

 ** _And May the Fourth be with you,_** ** _always!_**


	7. Better Off

**_..._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _*grins evilly*_**

* * *

 ** _Summary:_** _Kanan sighed, suddenly feeling terrible. He brought Ezra into this mess. Would Ezra have been better off if he had remained on Lothal?_

* * *

Kanan doesn't need his eyes to see the nightmares. As much as he hated not being able to see, he was relived that he was alive. That Ezra was alive. His nightmares were silent. He would just shoot up, sweat soaked and terrified. Ezra started out that way until they returned. Now, Ezra was screaming and bawling his eyes out until someone came to get him. After the night Ezra crashed, Kanan was certain he would sleep better.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Kanan had trouble sleeping as well, as if trying to calm Ezra, who now slept on the top bunk in his master's cabin, was hard enough. He too relived the horrors of Malachor. Every time was different. If Kanan could speak to his mind, he would share some choice words.

How many times could he watch Ezra die, relive his master's last moments, or watch the ones he cared about be destroyed until he finally went insane, especially now that that was the only time he saw anything now?

Memories of his master could easily be tamed with a few hours of meditation. A once over with the Force could reassure him that the crew was alive. Ezra, even though he too could be confirmed alive with a quick look with the Force, took a little while longer. Kanan had no idea why. Perhaps it was because Kanan had come to care for Ezra deeply, or because Ezra formed a stronger bond with him than anyone else on the crew. Perhaps it was because of his captivity on the Star Destroyer when the Grand Inquisitor used the Force and made him watch Ezra die in the worst ways possible, or when he almost watched him die for real.

Kanan felt his breath getting shorter. Above him, Ezra, who finally wore himself out crying, stirred, sensing his master's distress. Kanan forced himself to calm down and began sending calming waves to his apprentice.

 _"I'm fine. Go back to sleep."_

Kanan sighed and laid down on the bed. He couldn't let the Empire nor Maul hurt Ezra.

Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was too late.

The Empire took Ezra's freedom before he could have it, taking over the day he was born. They took his parents away and sat by as he struggled with who knows what on the streets. They killed his parents when they tried to escape and tried to kill him multiple times. And this was all by the age of sixteen. And don't even get him started on what Maul did to this child.

Kanan sighed, suddenly feeling terrible. He brought Ezra into this mess. Would Ezra have been better off if he had remained on Lothal? Kanan stood quickly and using the Force, made his way to the door and left the room.

* * *

"Everything alright dear?"

Kanan nodded. "I'm alright Hera. Thanks for asking though."

"No you're not." Hera entered the common room, sat down next to Kanan, and wrapped an arm around him. "What's wrong?"

"I... I mean..." Kanan sighed. "Do you think Ezra would be better off if we had...left him on Lothal?"

Hera sighed. "No, Kanan. He's a lot better here, where he's learning to control his abilities." The second those words left her mouth, she knew she had chosen them poorly.

Kanan let out a dry chuckle, his tone holding a sudden bitterness. "Yeah, and we all know where that landed him." He sensed Hera flinch and sighed once more. "I'm sorry. I don't blame him at all and I just...what was I thinking bringing a child into a war?"

"If you're calling yourself a terrible person because of that, then I am just as much to blame as you," Hera said sternly, poking his chest, hard. "I convinced him to join the crew just as much as you did. And you've grown so much as a person because of it. Ezra knew the risks of joining the fight. He knew the risks of becoming a Jedi. All of this is Maul's fault, not yours, not Ezra's."

Kanan sighed. In front of him, he saw the bright green signature of Hera Syndulla. "You always know what to say don't you?" he mumbled.

"If you're calling me right," Hera said with a smirk, "I tend to do that."

Kanan smiled, and using the Force to guide him, leaned forward. Hera's eyes widened as his lips met hers. Kanan's lips were gone as quickly as they had come and the Jedi stood up. "I'm going back to bed. Good night."

He left the room, leaving a wide eyed, blushing Twi'lek. A few seconds later, her face softened and she smiled warmly. "Good night love," she whispered. "You have some nerve."

* * *

 ** _My first Kanera kiss! Surprise!_**

 ** _This was my very first time writing a kiss so please please give it some love!_**

 ** _Hope you enjoyed! If you did, you know what to do! Leave your ideas and your love down below and vote in my poll! Additionally, I will award a bread point to anyone who can find the reference in here._**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	8. Rex

**_Finally got this one done! I've been meaning to do a Rex centric fic for a long time and I got it done! Good job Bread Thief! Good job!_**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Rex takes the time to face his loss and makes sure Ezra knows he's not to blame._

* * *

He lost her a second time.

Rex didn't need Ezra's words when he got off the _Phantom_ to know that Ahsoka was gone. The pain etched in the poor child's face was more than enough.

That was the last time he really saw Ezra. He caught glimpses of him from time to time, but Ezra would always vanish before Rex could talk to him.

It was almost two months after Malachor when Rex was finally able to corner Ezra. They had to talk and Rex had waited long enough.

When Ezra noticed that Rex was in the general vicinity, he turned and began to disappear like always. Rex usually would leave him alone. Not this time. When he caught up to Ezra, he laid a hand on his shoulder. Ezra flinched, which made Rex's heart cringe. "We need to talk." Rex led Ezra to his makeshift quarters on the base. Ezra began trembling like a leaf and his eyes were wide and misty with fear.

 _"What happened to him?"_ Rex thought solemnly as they approached the quarters. _"He used to be so full of life! What did that sleemo Maul do to him?"_

Rex had met the former Sith on Mandalore the last time he saw Ahsoka before Order 66. It wasn't a happy meeting. Considering how cruel Maul could be, he wasn't the least surprised to hear that he was the one who blinded Kanan and rendered Ezra a shell of a person, afraid of his own shadow. Rex squeezed Ezra's shoulder in reassurance and sat him down on a crate upon reaching the makeshift room.

Ezra was silent, suddenly finding his boots interesting.

Rex didn't know how to start what would surely be a one sided conversation, so he asked the only thing he could think of. "How have you been?"

Ezra looked at him, the expression on his face a mix of bewilderment and fear. Rex mentally kicked himself the second those words left his mouth. What kind of question was that?

He hadn't gotten a good look at Ezra in two months. He had gotten taller, making Rex believe he was starting to have a growth spurt. However, he had gotten thinner from lack of eating. His hair had gotten longer, and it now reached his shoulders. Sooner or later, he would have to pull it back or cut it. His bright blue eyes, once so full of life, were now dull and bloodshot from lack of sleep. His skin was pale and there were bags under his eyes. He looked dead.

Then again, Ahsoka wasn't the only one who died on Malachor. Rex looked down sadly and Ezra flinched as if reading his thoughts.

"Ezra," Rex began, "I know you're probably tired of hearing this, but no one blames you for what happened. Kanan told me everything, and he told what had happened to you. The last thing you need to do is keep blaming yourself. You look like you haven't been sleeping or eating. Everyone here is worried sick."

Ezra looked up at Rex, tears in his eyes. Rex continued. "I served with Ahsoka during the Clone Wars and we both knew the risks of fighting a war. Unlike now, neither of us had a choice. This time we did. Ahsoka chose to fight the Empire, and I did as well. Ahsoka chose to die in order to save you and Kanan. She wouldn't want to see you like this. Kanan told me about your condition and how this whole thing tore you up mentally. People are starting to worry. You can't give up now when so many people care about you."

Rex had no idea what to expect, but he was rather shocked when Ezra launched himself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I miss her too Ezra," Rex said softly, eyes watering. "I miss her too."

Later, Rex walked an emotionally exhausted Ezra back to the Ghost.

Hera stood on the ramp, and after taking Ezra, thanked him. Ezra leaned against her as she walked him inside.

"I think Kanan wants to practice meditation," Hera replied after giving Ezra a side hug. "Why don't you go find him?"

Ezra nodded and left the cargo hold.

Hera narrowed her eyes for a moment in thought.

She might have been imagining things, but Ezra's eyes seemed slightly brighter.

* * *

Rex sighed as he stared up at the Otollon sunset.

Once again he was left behind.

Anakin, Ahsoka, his brothers, gone.

He would mourn, but he would eventually move on. There were others there for him in the darkest moments and people he refused to let feel the same pain he did. He would never leave anyone behind nor would he be left behind again.

It was his duty as a soldier to protect the ones he cared about and he would accomplish that goal no matter what.

* * *

 ** _Sorry it was so short but it has been a tiring two weeks. AP testing is finally over and I had Band Banquet Saturday Night, which was a blast. I am taking this week to rest since the craziness starts up again next week._**

 ** _Anyway, the recovery of Ezra Bridger has begun!_**

 ** _Don't forget to leave some love in the reviews! Suggestions are needed! I've gotten quite a few already, and I will add them where they fit! Don't forget to vote in my poll and hang in there! Summer is almost here! (Or already here for some of you... Lucky...)_**

 ** _Until Next Time!_**


	9. Murderbot has a Heart

**_Hi guys! This one features Chopper and it is a little on the fluffy side with a tinge of humor. I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Chopper saw his little friend up one night so he decided to be helpful for once._

* * *

Chopper was never the comforting type, so when comfort was needed, it was difficult to do.

That's why Chopper had to suppress a groan when he saw Ezra sitting in a closet, staring off into space, the bags under his eyes prominent. A blanket was draped over his shoulders and the boy looked exhausted and afraid. It was also 0300 hours. It was obvious Ezra could not enter sleep mode...or whatever it was sentients did when their energy was low.

Something was terribly wrong with him, but Chopper was never good at reading emotions. He knew when people were sad, happy, angry, etc., but he couldn't tell without the signs, such as tears, a smile, or shouting.

Timidly, Chopper approached Ezra. Ezra jumped and stared at Chopper as if he had seen a ghost. Chopper warbled at Ezra. Ezra didn't respond. He never did anymore. Why wouldn't Ezra respond?

Chopper decided to try threatening Ezra into talking. He whipped out his taser and pointed it at the boy. _"Say something!"_

Ezra went pale (if that was even possible at this point) and pressed himself against the wall, eyes wide. Chopper, realizing he had scared the child, suddenly felt guilty, something he rarely felt. The little droid lowered his taser and warbled an apology. Ezra didn't budge. _"I'm sorry!"_ Chopper repeated. _"I'm not saying it again!"_

Ezra relaxed and burrowed deeper into the protection of his blanket. It was then that Chopper noticed Ezra's gloves, holster and boots were off, as was the armor on his leg. He looked like his was ready to sleep, but for some reason couldn't.

Chopper tried to think. What did sentients do when they couldn't fall asleep?

Chopper wheeled away after reassuring Ezra he would return. He made his way to the kitchen and using his rockets, propelled up to the cabinet, and pulled out a cup. He went to the heater and quickly made some hot chocolate, making it extra chocolatey. He then went to another closet where the crew kept spare pillows and blankets, grabbing an extra blanket and a pillow. After dropping the pillow and blanket off, he brought Ezra the hot drink. Ezra took it and stared up at Chopper for a few moments before patting the astromech on the head. As Ezra drank the hot chocolate, Chopper set up a small nest for Ezra inside of the closet. When Ezra finished the drink, Chopper took the cup, and after promising once again he would return, left the closet. He returned to the kitchen and put the cup in the dishwasher before returning to the closet.

Ezra was curled up into a ball, burrowed in the blankets to the point where only his face was uncovered. Chopper gently patted the boy's arm.

 _"Get some sleep. I'll keep you safe."_

Chopper didn't know when Ezra fell asleep. All he knew was that the boy didn't wake for the rest of the night. At one point, Ezra began hissing in pain, but before the nightmare could start, he relaxed.

Chopper had no idea what he was doing, but he knew he had to be doing at least something right. Watching over sleeping sentients wasn't how Chopper was planning on spending his evening, but Ezra wasn't sleeping and that needed to be fixed. Chopper may have not known much about anatomy, but when sentients, especially humans, were tired, they were grouchy and irritable. He knew how it felt to be tired...well...low on power and it sucked.

Chopper started to get lonely after a few hours. He was considering contacting AP-5 to keep him company even though the protocol droid would give him a hard time about babysitting, but that would only wake Ezra up. Chopper looked down and noticed how close Ezra was to him. Could he only sleep with someone else close to him? Sharing a room with that pesky Lasat didn't help nor did sharing a room with Kanan. Ezra would certainly put up a fight if he brought that up. Emotionally unstable or not, Ezra would die of embarrassment. Chopper let out a mechanical sigh as he slowly let himself go into sleep mode, deep in thought.

His last thought before going to sleep mode was, _"Was that me...having a heart? I have a heart? This kid made go soft!"_

* * *

Chopper woke to the sound of the closet opening. Chopper growled at the intruder, who just happened to be Kanan, who was both practicing his Force Sight and looking for Ezra.

"You've been watching him all night?"

Chopper warbled an affirmative.

"I appreciate that Chop. Go recharge. I'll take him."

Yeah, no.

A low humming sound filled the closet and Kanan backed up, not needing his sight to know where the noise was coming from.

"Whoa! Chopper! Put that down!"

Chopper inched forward threateningly.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going! I'm going! Just comm me when he wakes up."

Chopper gave the droid equivalent of a smirk. _"Yeah, yeah. Just go away."_

The closet door closed and Chopper relaxed and put away his taser, satisfied he took care of the intruder.

* * *

Zeb looked up from repairing his bo-rifle when Kanan entered the room. "Did you find him boss?"

"Yes," Kanan replied. "And unless you want the face the wrath of Murderbot, I suggest you don't go into the closet. Well, less Murderbot now."

Zeb's purple signature became lighter with shock. "You're kidding. That bucket of bolts watched the kid all night."

"And nearly tasered me when I tried to take the kid. Chopper's really gotten fond of him."

Zeb chuckled. "Should we tell AP-5?"

"Nah," Kanan replied. "Chopper would kill us and he'd never hear the end of it. Let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts."

"The kid sleeping or the kind rustbucket?"

Kanan smiled. "I say both."

* * *

 ** _Hopefully Chopper wasn't too OOC. If I did, I think I fixed it towards the end._**

 ** _But still:_**

 ** _Kanan: I'll take him._**

 ** _Chopper: Beat it or else._**

 ** _I figured with all the angst, we needed a little laugh._**

 ** _According to the polls, some of you want to know what Maul is up to. That will come soon enough! I am going to try to fill in a suggestion next week. A Wednesday update may be iffy next week due to finals, but if I don't update next week, I will definitely update Thursday. However, there will NOT be an update on June 8._**

 ** _If you have any ideas, comments, and love, you know what to do!_**

 ** _Until Next Time!_**


	10. Through the Night

_**This one was suggested by cassturn93. You wanted Sabine and Ezra fluff so here you go! I wrote it as brother sister fluff but you can see it both ways.**_

 _ **Midnight Luna- I responded to your review in case you didn't see it. I hope you're doing okay.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _When Kanan and Hera are off meeting with Bail Organa, Sabine is the one to comfort Ezra when he wakes up screaming._

* * *

Kanan didn't like the idea of leaving, but Hera needed a partner to go meet with Senator Organa and insisted he needed some time away from everything. No fighting, just a peaceful talk. And just for one night.

He had protested, not wanting to leave his padawan, but Hera reassured him that Sabine and Zeb were perfectly capable of taking care of him for one night.

Kanan sighed, staring at the splash of green among the white outlines as he heard the Phantom go into hyperspace.

 _"Force, please let him be okay."_

* * *

That night was rough for Sabine.

Within hours, she found herself in Kanan's room, Zeb on her heels. Ezra was curled up in a ball on the floor, screaming and crying, terrified of being alone.

Zeb had absolutely no idea what to do so Sabine volunteered to stay with him. Was it always going to be like this? Two steps forward, one step back?

Sabine was to the point of tears as she lifted him back onto the bed and held her surrogate little brother in her arms, feeling helpless as she rocked him back and forth like an infant, shushing him, stroking his hair and trying to be gentle, but Ezra continued to ball, screaming for Kanan, for anyone. Sabine blinked back her tears and sighed. Without thinking, a soft melody spilled from her lips.

 _Close your eyes_

 _It'll be alright_

 _The night is long but the moon is bright._

 _Even if the clouds roll in tonight_

 _I will be here through the night._

It was not a traditional Mando lullaby, but it was something her mother would sing to her each night.

Ezra stopped sobbing and relaxed into his surrogate sister's embrace, his eyes starting to drift as he began slipping back into sleep. Sabine continued singing the song for him.

 _The day is over now_

 _Stop your crying now_

 _Close your eyes now_

 _Cause I will be here through the night._

Sabine knew a few more lullabies, some more traditional than others, but there was no need. Ezra was still shaking, but he was asleep. Sabine sighed in relief as she laid Ezra back on the bed. Ezra grunted in protest as his hand frantically grabbed at air. Sabine watched for a moment. "I guess I could stay," she said softly with a smile. She quickly pulled up a chair and let Ezra grab her hand. The sight broke Sabine's heart. Ezra was always independent. What had happened to this kid? Her eyes watered and she leaned down, planting a soft kiss on Ezra's head. The grip on her hand relaxed slightly but Sabine didn't let go, nor did she plan on letting go. She sat up with him for as long as she could before she found herself plunging into sleep.

* * *

Hera and Kanan's mission had gone off without a hitch. They had met with Senator Organa and informed them of what happened. Apparently, he was planning on sending a replacement for Ahsoka soon. Hera had wanted to scoff at the word "replacement." That was the one thing she disliked about military protocol. Everyone could be replaced. However, Hera shook it off. As sad as she was about Ahsoka's death, that was the cost of war.

A heartwarming sight broke Hera out of her thoughts. Kanan paused behind her, a confused look on her face. "Come here," Hera whispered, glowing with joy. Hera peered into the room and watched Kanan smile upon sensing the calm in the room. Sabine was sitting in a chair, slumped over the bed, hand clasped around Ezra's hand. Ezra was curled up, mouth agape and snoring quietly and adorably. "Looks like someone did her job well," Hera murmured, her tone making Kanan's heart flutter.

Kanan couldn't help but sigh in relief. Ezra was safe. He would be safe with his family watching over him.

* * *

 ** _Believe it or not, I wrote the lullaby. I love writing poetry and attempting to set it to music. Don't forget that there will NOT be an update next week. I shall return in a couple of weeks and (don't hold me to this) I will try to update more frequently since I will be on summer break! Yay! Leave love and suggestions in the comments below._**

 ** _Byeeeeee!_**


	11. Deeds of the Shadow

**_I am back baby! And since a lot of you have been wanting this (and I mean a lot), have some Space Cockroach!_**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Maul is on the warpath. He wants to once again rise to power and take revenge of those who ruined him. And he knows how he can do it._

* * *

Maul deserved better than this. He once had power, and he was going to get it back. The Zabrak had hoped that the guilt of being responsible for what happened to Ezra's former master combined with his constant "visits" would make his apprentice hear reason. But no. The boy was still resisting the call.

Perhaps a killing blow towards Kanan Jarrus would have been better...

Maul stared out into space as the TIE fighter he had stolen from one of the deceased Inquisitors drifted through space. He was set for at least another week, but he would have to resupply again soon...and get a better ship. Something he can use to disappear once he collected his apprentice so he cluld train him in peace until it was time. Somewhere where the Empire nor the rebels could find either of them.

Speaking of rebels, Maul realized it had been far too long since he paid his apprentice a visit.

What was he going to subject his apprentice to this time? Almost each time before, the boy would resist him until his meddling former master intervened and kicked him out.

If the boy continued to be disobedient, he would have to be eliminated.

Of course, Maul would have to get ahold of him first. It was going to happen eventually. Maul was going to have the boy, even if he had to take him by force. However, a lot had to happen between now and then. He had to find the boy, for one thing. Just because he could trace Ezra's mind didn't mean Maul had his location. He had to know how many he would have to kill in order to get to him. He had to find a safe location to train because once he had Ezra, both the Empire and the Rebellion would be on his heels. If either of them took Ezra, it would take a long time for Maul to relocate him.

However, Maul could prepare him from afar. Maul got up from the pilot chair, thankful that the Inquisitors were high enough rank to get roomy TIE fighters, and lowered himself into a cross-legged position. He closed his eyes, allowing the cold waves of darkness wash around him, drawing power from the Force and using his anger to give him enough strength to smash through Ezra's already weak mental barriers.

Instantly, Ezra's mind went cold, his body shutting down from Maul's frightening presence. _"No..."_ Ezra mumbled weakly into the Force. "Not again... Get away... Leave me alone... Please..."

 _"Fear not, my apprentice,"_ Maul replied. _"I am not here to hurt you."_

 _"Please! I'm begging you!"_

 _"There is no mercy Ezra. Perhaps I should have killed your master after all. Would have made my job a lot easier."_

 _Ezra seemed to panic and he began sobbing. "No! Don't hurt him! Please don't hurt him! You've hurt Kanan enough! Please don't kill him!"_

Maul sighed. This sniveling child was siding with his former master? How pathetic.

 _"You're mine boy. You're going to be mine, and when I come for you, you had better be ready. You will fully embrace the darkness, even if I have to beat you within an inch of your life."_

Suddenly, a warm presence filled the area. Ezra's presence seemed to relax. Maul wanted to groan. The meddling Jedi was back.

 _"How many times are you going to interfere with me?"_ Maul growled. _"The boy is responsible for all that has happened! Why are you so insistent on protecting him?"_

 _"None of it was his fault,"_ the Jedi growled. _"It was all you! And even if it was his fault, if you think one simple mistake will make me abandon him, then you clearly don't understand the bond between a master and padawan!"_

 _"The darkness is your destiny, Ezra!"_ Maul yelled, ignoring Kanan. _"Why can't you see that? The Jedi claims he won't abandon you, yet he can't teach you now! I can show you the true ways of the Force, not a bunch of lies and fairy tales."_

 _"Shut up!"_ Ezra yelled. _"Leave me alone! Kanan isn't a liar! You're the only liar around here so get lost!"_

 _"You can tell me to leave all you want, child,"_ Maul sneered. _"We have a bond, just like you have with your former master. We can fix that though. As soon as I find you, you can continue your recovery! I know what happened to you after Malachor."_

 _"You don't know a thing about him,"_ Kanan said cooly. _"Next time you come in here, I will crush you and if you come anywhere near him physically, you're going to be sorry."_

Maul scoffed. _"As if you can lay a hand on me."_

"Are you sure about that? I guess falling off the temple wasn't enough for you."

Maul sighed, knowing this was a losing argument. He had thrown Kanan out before. Perhaps he could do it again. Maul gathered up all of his energy and prepared to throw out the meddling Jedi. Before he could release the energy he felt something...a barrier?

 _"Not this time,"_ Kanan snapped.

The barrier grew larger and larger until Maul had to draw out before he could be crushed.

When Maul opened his eyes, the anger was built up inside of him, anger towards his constant failures.

No matter. As long as he had the bond, he could come back as many times as he wanted.

* * *

Kanan came out of meditation to sense Ezra staring up at him, the presence wild with fright. Upon sensing Maul enter Ezra's mind, he immediately pulled him from the bunk and began to mediate in an attempt to get the meddling sleemo out.

"It's okay kid," Kanan said softly. "Just go back to sleep."

Within a few minutes, Ezra went limp and his breathing evened out. Kanan laid Ezra back down on the bed and stood, making his way carefully to his meditation chair before sitting back down.

With the recent revelations, there was no way he was getting back to sleep.

A bond? How did Ezra not sense it? And more importantly, how did Kanan not sense it? It had to have been extremely weak, yet strong enough to allow Maul easy access into his mind.

And was it hindering Ezra's recovery? Was the bond behind Ezra being unable to speak?

And what about Maul? What if Maul knew where they were? What if Maul came for Ezra? Kanan wasn't sure he would be able to stop him. He defeated Maul once blind, but Maul had underestimated him. Kanan knew that if he let Maul take Ezra away, Kanan would never forgive himself. All the possibilities circled back to the question surrounding the bond that Ezra had unknowingly formed, meaning there was one solution.

That bond had to go.

* * *

 _ **Plot twist!**_

 _ **I may not tackle the issue with the bond right away, but the bond will come into play multiple times.**_

 _ **Explanation in case you're confused: On Malachor, Ezra accidentally formed a bond with Maul, kind of like the master and padawan bond except with the dark side. It is weak enough so it can coexist with Kanan's bond. Kanan and Ezra have been unable to sense it, but Maul knew it was there so that is how Maul has been getting into Ezra's head. The two bonds are putting a strain on Ezra's mind, and combined with the trauma of what happened, is what caused Ezra to not be able to speak whenever he is aware. Not sure if that can be a thing but it works because it can, not because it should.**_

 _ **So basically Space Cockroach has screwed EVERYTHING up.**_

 _ **I don't know if I said this before, but I get the feeling Rebels is going to be the boot that finally squashes him and it may not be necessarily in Season Three. I mean, it takes a lot to kill a cockroach. Obi-Wan couldn't do it. Sidious couldn't do it. And don't even get me started on the Inquisitors.**_

 _ **See you guys next week!**_


	12. Nightmare

**_This one is for Ezrafan61, who wanted some more Kanan and Ezra father son fluffiness. Enjoy!_**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _The only time Kanan sees anything now is in his sleep, and it is never pretty._

* * *

 _Kanan couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't move._

 _"Please!" Kanan howled. His eyes were intact and he could see every inch of what was happening. The Seventh Sister was torturing Ezra, the boy screaming and sobbing as the probe droid latched on and electrocuted him, cut him, hurt him in every way imaginable. "Please, just leave him alone! He's just a kid!"_

 _The Seventh Sister laughed. "As you wish."_

 _She waltzed over to Ezra, who was now trembling. "Help..." he murmured. "Kanan... Help..." Kanan's eyes burned as he tried to move, only to find that he couldn't. He couldn't move. He couldn't help the child he cared for deeply. He could only watch as the Seventh Sister stabbed his abdomen._

 _"EZRA!" Kanan screamed. The Seventh Sister smirked, disappearing in a puff of smoke as Kanan suddenly found himself able to move again. He dropped to his knees next to his apprentice, who was crying from the pain._

 _"K-K..." Ezra opened his bleary blue eyes, lips trying to form his master's name but failing. "K...K..."_

 _Kanan shushed him. "Don't try to talk buddy. Just hang on."_

 _Ezra squeaked in pain as Kanan assessed the damage. One look at the final blow dealt by the Seventh Sister spoke volumes. Kanan pressed a hand against it, as if that would keep him from dying even though the wound wasn't bleeding. Ezra gripped Kanan's hand, looking up at him with fearful eyes, eyes that broke Kanan's heart. "I don't...wanna...die..." Ezra mumbled. "I...don't wanna...die..." Suddenly, the fearful blue eyes slipped shut as Ezra went limp in his master's arms._

 _Kanan felt short of breath, and almost suddenly, an agonized scream tore through the Jedi's throat as tears threatened to fall._

 _"You couldn't save him..." said a disgustingly familiar voice. Maul... "You failed him!"_

 _Suddenly, white hot pain flashed across Kanan's eyes and-_

* * *

Kanan awoke with a start, gasping as sweat dripped down his back.

Dreams like the one he just had, dreams where Ezra was the one suffering, always shook him up. He really hated how his mind could conjure up the most awful things.

Above him, Ezra shifted, sensing Kanan's distress.

 _"Crap... Now I've gone and woke the kid..."_ Kanan thought with a sigh.

A soft thud alerted Kanan to his padawan's presence next to the bed. He didn't need his sight at all that moment. He could feel Ezra's eyes staring at him, burning through his soul.

"Go back to sleep Ezra," Kanan sighed. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."

If only Kanan could have good dreams every once in a while. Dreams were the only time he saw anything, and he hasn't seen anything good yet.

Ezra didn't move, he just stood there, obviously not liking the answer he was given.

Kanan felt frustration rise up within him. He couldn't be in here dealing with the nightmares. He needed to meditate. He needed air. He needed something. He need to be left alone!

Without thinking, he raised his voice. "Go back to bed or get out!"

He was too harsh. Kanan realized that a moment too late. He saw Ezra's outline dim with pain before it vanished up the ladder.

Kanan quickly stood up. What the heck did he just do? Ezra didn't deserve that!

He left the room silently. He needed to give the kid some space before apologizing. He already hurt him enough.

* * *

Ezra watched as Kanan left the room through his tear blurred eyes, shaken up by the harsh words thrown his way.

Kanan had never yelled at him like that before. What had his master so riled up and why did he have to take it out on him?

Ezra waited until he was sure Kanan was gone before letting the tears flow.

* * *

Kanan sat in the cool night Atollon air. After a day in the unforgiving heat, the night was nice. While he could no longer see the stars, he still heard crickets and wind and other sounds that made up the nighttime ambience.

But Kanan was too troubled to focus on that.

As if the nightmare was bad enough, he took his frustration out on the last person who needed it. He felt terrible.

With a sigh, Kanan began to meditate, trying to release the stress.

When he was done, he felt a lot better, but soon found himself deep in thought. What if Maul did come for Ezra? Would Kanan be able to protect him in his current state? If Maul got ahold of Ezra, Kanan knew it would not end well. The stress came back as the possibilities raged through his mind.

Upon feeling the stress build up again, Kanan forced himself back into meditation.

The second the stress went away, Kanan stood, focusing on the nighttime ambience to ground him. With a sigh, he went back to his room. Kanan owed Ezra an apology. He reached the door and his heart broke at what he heard.

There were soft sobs coming from the room. Guilt tore through Kanan's gut and he mentally kicked himself.

 _"What the heck is wrong with me?"_

Kanan opened the door and carefully made his way to the bunk. When his toes softly hit the side of the bed, Kanan reached up and rubbed Ezra's back gently. "Kid, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I don't know what was wrong with me."

Kanan felt Ezra turn over under his hand and in response, moved his hand to Ezra's shoulder.

When the sobs slowed to a stop, Ezra's mind brushed up against Kanan's in curiosity. "It was a nightmare. Nothing out of the ordinary. Definitely not an excuse for snapping at you." Kanan heard the bed shift and two shaky arms wrapped around his neck. Kanan felt something go through him, something he felt many times before with Ezra. He wanted to take Ezra and hide him from the Empire, hide him from Maul, hide him from the overly cruel galaxy. It was a fatherly feeling, and Kanan welcomed it as he rubbed Ezra's back. He felt around the bed for the blanket, the outline muddled against the outline of the bedding. When Kanan found the blanket, he pulled it over Ezra and ran a hand through his hair fondly.

"Good night, buddy."

* * *

 ** _I have nothing to say. I think the fluff speaks for itself although I'm not sure how this one turned out..._**

 ** _Byeeeeeeee!_**


	13. Fallen

**_Now, this one isn't very long, but I did that on purpose. This one is Ahsoka-centric. It is something I have had in the works for a while now and since I'm running out of time before I need to start thinking about what I need this series to lead up to, I figured it was time to post it. It isn't exactly what you requested 501andFriends, but it's Ahsoka-centric since let's face it: Ahsoka still lives. :)_**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _To the galaxy, she was dead. To her master, she was an enemy. To herself, she was lost._

* * *

Here she was again.

Lost. Nowhere to go.

Ahsoka knew she couldn't go back to the rebellion. She would only put the rebels in danger. It was not an easy decision. Maul was most certainly out there hunting Ezra. Kanan was blinded by Maul's blade. Rex would be devastated if she let him believe she was killed. They all needed her assistance more than ever. However, she knew the rebels could handle Maul. Vader was a completely different story, one that the fleet knew all too well. Neither knew the location of the base they had established.

Ahsoka could only hope that it was kept that way.

The temple was gone, reduced to rubble in an explosion she was lucky to survive. Vader was long gone, probably picked up by the Empire, at least, she hoped so.

With lightsaber wounds on her arm and leg, a second encounter would end poorly.

About two days of wandering later, Ahsoka, dehydrated and starving, found a TIE Fighter, possibly belonging to one of the Inquisitors. There was only one, which led Ahsoka to believe that someone got ahold of the other one.

That someone was no mystery.

Ahsoka tenderly climbed into the other TIE, pleased to find it had a full tank along with some water and food rations and a first aid kit.

 _"Just take it easy,"_ she said to herself. _"No need to rush things."_

She slowly downed one of the many water bottles inside the compartment and ate some food.

Suddenly, Ahsoka remembered something important. Taking another bite of a bread ration, she opened up the compartment that held the wires. She located the tracking beacon and broke the wires that led to it. She then disabled the comlink so that no one contacted the ship.

With a sad smile, Ahsoka limped to the first aid kit and took care of her wounds.

Exhausted and hurting, she allowed her eyes to slip shut for a few seconds.

* * *

Ahsoka had no idea how long she slept for. All she knew was that she awoke in a cold sweat after having a nightmare of what had occurred inside that temple.

After her shaking subsided, Ahsoka felt refreshed but lost.

"So what now?" she mumbled. She remembered the last time she saw Anakin's master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was shortly after the rise of the Empire.

 _"I'm going to disappear until the time is right,"_ he had told her. _"You left the Jedi Order, so that will give you immunity for now. However, the Empire won't stop at the Jedi. Soon, the will go after anyone Force-sensitive. You need to hide while you can."_

Despite being seventeen at the time, Ahsoka didn't hide, remembering what she said to the younglings she befriended when she was captured by a band of Trandoshan pirates so long ago. _"My master would never forgive me for running and hiding in a situation like this."_

So she fought, just like her master would have done...if he hadn't turned to the dark side and destroyed everything.

Ahsoka blinked back tears at the thought. Obi-Wan had told her that Anakin had perished on Mustafar. He was right and wrong at the same time.

Maybe she should have hidden. It would have been a lot easier.

However, regrets would not help her survive. Ahsoka needed to get off Malachor before Vader returned. She limped over to the pilot chair, thankful the TIE had a full tank of fuel.

With a sad sigh, Ahsoka began to start the ship up, having no idea where she was going to go.

She needed to disappear. As far as the Empire was concerned, she was dead. For the safety of herself and her friends, it needed to stay that way.

 _"I'm sorry everyone..."_ she said to herself. _"I let the galaxy down a second time."_

Sometimes Ahsoka wondered what would have happened if she hadn't left the Jedi Order. Would Anakin have turned to the dark side? Would all of this have been avoided if Ahsoka hadn't left? Guilt stabbed her heart and she sighed. There was no time for regrets. What's done is done and there was no turning back.

She didn't necessarily have to stay dead forever. If and when the Empire fell, she could reemerge. Until then, Rex, Ezra, Kanan, Hera, everyone would have to make do without her,

As Ahsoka left the blasted planet and set course for Wild Space, she stared at the stars in front of her and managed a smile.

"We'll meet again..." she whispered. "I know it."

With that, Ahsoka disappeared into the unknown.

* * *

 ** _Okay, important announcement:_**

 ** _Updating the next three weeks will be kind of difficult. I will be VERY VERY busy. Therefore, please don't get your hopes up that there will be on time updates. I will try to update Wednesdays during that time period but it will be difficult since I may not have time to post. If an update comes, it will most likely be late so just because there isn't a Wednesday update doesn't mean there won't be an update. You guys were so patient during those times where updates were iffy so thank you for that!_**

 ** _(On another note, tomorrow is three months without Rebels. That means we are nearly half way through the hiatus! Just keep chugging! October will be here before we know it!)_**


	14. The General

**_Hey everyone! This chapter introduces an OC of mine. I think that I am slowly going past where Season 3 would be, but no matter! (If you don't like my OC, that's okay. I don't think you're supposed to.)_**

 ** _Just this once, I am going to do review replies, just to see how it works. This is something I will only do once in a blue moon though._**

 ** _Rebels-lover: Now the question is, is that kind of wait possible?_**

 ** _cassturn93: I'm not so sure about the name changes, but I am certain that Ezra is going to be a changed person. I also think he's going to be rather emotionally unstable, much like he is in this series._**

 ** _Disney Syndulla: If you think that was sad, just wait. :)_**

 ** _Midnight Luna: *grins evilly* I'm already ordering the virtual blankets and hot chocolate. You'll need it in a few weeks. :) The feelsies are going to get even more realsies._**

 ** _501andFriends: I honestly hope Ahsoka's alive and that they'll give us some kind of hint as to where she is. I am sure she is alive because in the final scene of Twilight of the Apprentice, if you look closely right before they cut to the Ghost, you can see her walking into the temple._**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _In wake of Ahsoka's disappearance, the higher-ups from Alderaan send in a replacement._

* * *

To say Hera was nervous was an understatement.

Today, Senator Organa contacted her and informed her that they were sending a replacement for Ahsoka.

Ahsoka's disappearance was devastating, and it didn't help to know that the higher-ups listed her as deceased. Hera was in no way ready for a replacement. She had known Ahsoka for years before Kanan's rescue. Hera paused at the memory of the crew meeting Ahsoka for the first time when her crew merged with Pheonix Squadron nearly a year ago.

Now everything had changed and they would be under the command of someone nobody knew.

Everyone was present to meet this new general. The anxiety in the air was so intense that when the ship landed, you could hear a pin drop.

Hera could hear her heart pounding. Kanan, who was next to her, took her hand and squeezed it. The motion brought her a little comfort. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ezra shifting closer to Kanan. Sabine and Zeb had stoic impressions, but Sabine was trembling slightly and the worry was evident in Zeb's eyes. The only truly passive one was Chopper. Rex stared on with a nervous expression on his face. Sato was...angry? Why would Sato be angry. Nervous and a bit distraught was one thing, but angry? Was there something about this replacement that Hera didn't know about?

The ship's ramp slid down and the bay doors opened. A Nautolan man with yellow skin and black beady eyes emerged from the ship. He looked around the base with disgust before proceeding to Sato.

"Commander Sato," he began. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Sato hesitantly shook the man's hand. "General Vartoc," he stated with a hint of bitterness in his voice. The man, Vartoc, glared at him before proceeding towards Hera. "So you're the Pheonix Leader I've heard so much about."

Hera saluted Vartoc. "I am. My name is Hera Syndulla."

Vartoc nodded, looking over Hera and the crew. "I am Ser Vartoc, but you will address me as either Sir, General Vartoc, or just General."

"Understood sir," Hera replied, a bit taken back by this man. Her heart leapt into her throat as the man approached Ezra. "A bit young isn't he?"

Ezra took a nervous step back, and Kanan instantly laid a protective hand on his shoulder. "What?" Vartoc added. "No hello? Did you not teach this child respect?"

Hera knew immediately that she did not like this man.

Vartoc, of course, could not shut up. "And this man here? Jarrus, is it?"

"It is," Kanan replied calmly.

"Captain Syndulla," Vartoc snapped. "Why do you have a blind man on your crew?"

Kanan just stood there in pure shock. Ezra gave the Nautolan man a look of disgust in a rare show of emotion. Zeb's fist clenched. Sabine acted like she was about to say something, but was stopped by Hera shaking her head. "He's a Jedi," Hera explained. "He uses the Force to see."

"Now that I think about it," Vartoc began, "the mission that General Tano perished on. Jarrus was on it and so was the one called Ezra Bridger, who, I believe, is the one responsible for Tano's death, Jarrus's injury and the release of a criminal into the galaxy."

"Hold on," Kanan snapped. "None of this was Ezra's fault. The whole thing left him unable to speak. It's bad enough he blames himself! Leave him alone."

"Watch your tongue," Vartoc snapped. He then turned to Sato. "Commander, why hasn't this boy been put in front of the firing squad?"

The entire crew tensed up and Hera unconsciously stepped in front of Ezra.

"Why would I do that?" Sato replied. "Ezra has done nothing wrong. Aren't we supposed to be fighting the Empire, and not imitating it?"

Vartoc sighed. "No matter." He then raised his voice. "Now listen up, all of you! I am in charge now. You will obey my orders to the letter or there will be consequences! Now get to work!"

The rebel pilots scrambled away. Vartoc began moving towards the _Liberator_. "Captain Syndulla, Commander Sato? Might I have a word?"

Sato and Hera exchanged looks and they followed Vartoc to the _Liberator_. "Go back to the _Ghost_ ," she told the crew. "Hopefully this shouldn't take long."

* * *

Vartoc was already on the bridge by the time Hera and Sato reached the _Liberator_. The Nautolan was an outright piece of bantha fodder in Hera's mind, but he moved fast. Hera took this opportunity to question Sato. "Commander, do you know General Vartoc?"

"Unfortunately," Sato replied. "Between you and me, he's unfit for the rank of General. In fact, sanitation may be too good for him."

"Did something happen?" Hera asked.

"Vartoc is a double agent, pretending to work for the Empire while secretly supporting the rebellion, much like Senator Organa. However, he's not the most honorable person out there. He's been known to abuse his power, whoch eventually got him courtmartialed about eight months ago. Unfortunately, he holds so much power on his homeworld that they couldn't completely throw him out of the Rebellion because of the damage he could cause. Instead, he was suspended for a year and demoted. His suspension just ended and now he's here."

"I don't like him," Hera sighed, "but I trust Senator Organa. What I have a problem with is the fact that he threatene one of my crew."

"If Vartoc means to execute Ezra, I will do everything in my power to stop him," Sato promised. "Even if that means reporting him to Senator Organa."

"Thank you," Hera replied, relieved.

As they entered the bridge for the meeting, Hera took a deep breath.

Things were going to change even more drastically.

* * *

 _ **Holy crap! Did I create a jerk or what?**_

 _ **Next time, things will really escalate so stay tuned.**_

 _ **The following is just based off of my calculations to this is definitely subject to change. If we get the Season 3 premiere around the same time we got the Season 2 premiere, then I think we are looking at an October 12 date. Keep in mind that this is only a hunch! If my calculations are correct, then that means there may be only fifteen oneshots left in this series if I don't update twice one week. I have eight requests written down. I have a reason I am waiting! I might combine two of them, making that seven. I also have a few ideas I want to use myself. Therefore, I will be cutting off suggestions within the next few weeks. I will start doing the suggestions I have already after this arc, so keep an eye out for that!**_


	15. To Atone: Supply Run

_**You guys are the best! All those anti-Vartoc reviews made me laugh because that was exactly what I was going for. For making me laugh, have some virtual Vartoc shaped targets. *passes them out* This is the start of the To Atone arc. I think this could be the point where Season 3 begins, but I'll leave that up to you guys. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Vartoc sends the crew on what seems to be an impossible mission._

* * *

At Kanan's last doctor's visit, the bandages were removed and replaced with a visor made out of the mask that he wore as a makeshift bandage when he first received the injury. They even told him that he was clear for prosthetics as soon as they were able to locate some. The thought of being able to see properly again excited him, despite the fact that he could had all but mastered Force Sight. However, his mood died down upon seeing the dismal atmosphere under Vartoc's "reign."

Kanan needed off this base for a while, away from everything, and ironically, Vartoc gave him what he wanted, just not the way he expected.

"Vartoc assigned us to a mission on an abandoned base from the Clone Wars," Hera told him.

"Not Anaxes right?" Kanan joked.

"Yes," Hera retorted, her signature bright with amusement. "because you and Ezra love frolicking with the local wildlife."

Kanan laughed for the first time in months. "Just us?"

"No," Hera replied, her glow fading. "All of us are going."

Kanan's face fell. "With Ezra?"

"Unfortunately yes. He may not be ready. I told Vartoc this and he just told me if we knew what was good for him, he would come along and he would be in the _Phantom_ with us getting the supplies."

"He's forcing him out into the field."

Hera sighed. "You know how he feels about Ezra. Kanan, what if he's throwing us into a pack of Imperials?"

"He can't do that Hera," Kanan reassured.

"He can. You know how he abuses his power!"

Kanan nodded. "Taking Ezra is risky enough without the added threat of a trap, and if we leave him, there's no guarantee he'll still be here when we return."

"I guess we have no choice," Hera muttered. "Can you tell him, or should I?"

"I'll tell him," Kanan said sadly. "Not sure how he'll take it though." He quickly pecked Hera on the cheek and went to his cabin.

When Kanan reached his cabin, he found Ezra sitting on his bed, meditating. "Hey, can we talk?"

Ezra's calm signature brightened slightly as he came out of his trance.

"We're going on a mission, all of us." Ezra's blue signature flashed with fear. "Ezra, I don't like this anymore that you do, but you know how Vartoc feels about you. You're safer with us. We'll be home before you know it."

Ezra sighed and stood, following Kanan out the door.

As soon as Ezra stepped into the hallway, Sabine approached him. "General Vartoc hasn't cleared you for blasters yet, but in case you and Kanan run into trouble, this is for you."

Ezra flinched upon remembering his lightsaber being destroyed. He looked at Sabine as she held up a small, thick rod. Sabine pushed a button, and the rod expanded into a full quarter staff.

"It's magnetized," Sabine stated. "It'll repel blaster bolts but be careful. Bludgeoning only does so much."

Ezra nodded, took the staff and took a deep breath. Sabine smiled and ruffled her surrogate brother's hair. "You'll be fine Ezra."

Within moments, the ship was out of the system and into hyperspace.

* * *

On his TIE fighter far away, Maul picked up a signal. He had spent the previous few weeks listening to Imperial chatter and rebellion chatter. The rebels were careful in discussing strategy and where they were, so Maul had no idea where they were based at the moment. However, one things had piqued his interest.

 _"Sir, the Ghost team has departed for Choku Base."_

 _"Very good Commander. See to it that preparations are made for their return."_

Ghost? According to Imperial data he had acquired over the months, that was the cell that his apprentice was a part of.

Maul smirked and set course for Choku Base, located on one of Iago's thousand moons.

Time to pay his apprentice a visit...

* * *

When the crew reached the base, Kanan, Ezra, and Hera immediately went to the _Phantom_ where they went to the surface.

"When you find the supplies," Hera said, "let me know and I'll come back around."

Kanan nodded. "Got it." Kanan and Ezra disembarked and began searching for the supplies as Hera left.

Suddenly, Ezra latched onto Kanan's arm. "Ezra? What's wrong?"

Kanan looked around with the Force. He noticed the remains of three destroyed supply crates and...

"Oh kriff," Kanan mumbled.

"Oh kriff is right," sneered a voice. "I overheard you would be here. You learn a lot when you're stuck in a TIE for weeks at a time. Patience, hacking, skills like that."

Ezra took a step back when he saw the source of all of their problems.

"Now," Maul sneered. "Ezra, why don't you kindly hand yourself over."

* * *

 _ **Uh oh! What shall Kanan and Ezra do? Find out next time on Nightfall!**_

 _ **Note: As soon as this arc is over, we will be on the homestretch since the next few weeks are prewritten and I will hopefully have an idea of what I'm leading up to. Because of this, I will not be taking anymore suggestions after next week. The suggestions I have now will be out when this arc is finished. So suggest while you can. Not all will be used but I will do my best to include as many as I can. :)**_


	16. To Atone: Force of Hand

_**OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS THAT TRAILER WAS SO AMAZING! Ezra's all grown up! Kanan has an awesome beard! I love Sabine's hair!**_

 _ **Just keep in mind that while I will try to stick to the trailer as best I can but my story will no longer fit perfectly into canon.**_

 _ **So...uh...anyway... I apologize in advance for this. I know I made Maul appear rather suddenly last chapter, but believe it or not, I wrote this one first so I had to make things fit somehow. As for the "this" in I apologize in advance for this, well...you'll see why in a moment. I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _When Maul arrives on the scene, things go horribly wrong._

* * *

Maul's presence stood out, red and evil. Ezra fumbled for his quarterstaff and pressed the button, causing the staff to snap to its full length despite knowing it would be no good against a lightsaber. Kanan ignited his lightsaber and Maul did the same.

When the three Force-users charged at each other, Maul was quick to remove Ezra from the picture by Force pushing him into a pillar, knocking him clean out. Kanan cursed and used the Force to guide his movements.

"Why are you here?" Kanan snapped.

"Isn't it obvious?" Maul replied. "I'm here to claim my apprentice and the holocron. Now, spare your former padawan the pain and get it from him."

"We don't have it with us," Kanan replied as he blocked a blow. "We're not stupid."

Maul's face morphed into rage as he grabbed Kanan's wrist and flung him to the ground.

"Told you I'd make it quick," he sneered. He raised his lightsaber to deliver the final blow.

Ezra whimpered as he opened his eyes to see Kanan being flung to the ground. He saw Maul prepare to deliver the final blow.

No. Not happening. Ezra wasn't going to let anyone else die on his watch. With a cry, he grabbed his staff and struck Maul from behind, knocking him away from Kanan. He struck him over and over until Maul, blinded by rage, flung him away. The rage was steaming off of Maul as he pinned Ezra to the ground and wrapped his hands around Ezra's throat, pressing down on his windpipe. Ezra began to sputter and gasp as he made a futile attempt to get air into his lungs. He tried to free himself but to no avail.

"If you will not join me," Maul growled, "then you will die."

Ezra, suddenly terrified, tried to move, but Maul was too heavy, his metal feet slowly crushing Ezra's wrists. Ezra needed help! He needed to get free! He was going to die if he didn't get free!

His mind let out a desperate cry.

 _"Kanan! Help!"_

* * *

 _"Kanan! Help!"_

Kanan heard Ezra cry out through the Force for help as regained consciousness. He turned to the source of the cry.

A strangled gasp tore out of Kanan's throat when he saw Ezra's signature dim until it was almost gone. Maul's evil red aura was on top of Ezra's almost as if Maul was strangling him.

Adrenaline combined with fatherly instinct and Kanan ran faster than he ever did before. His lightsaber was out and ready to end Maul once and for all.

Maul sensed the blow before it came and released his hold on Ezra, blocking the blow with his lightsaber. Kanan dove into the Force, letting it guide him, letting it become his eyes, knowing that there would be no underestimates this time.

Ezra tried to turn his head but his neck hurt too much. His windpipe felt like it had completely collapsed and Ezra could barely breathe. His throat and chest ached with each breath and tears streamed down his face.

He was terrified. There he was, unable to breathe or anything while his master was fighting Maul, the very man who started all this. Panicked sobs tried to tear themselves from Ezra's throat but they were caught in his crushed windpipe. With no other option, a silent scream tore out instead. Lead slowly filled his veins as the injured child began to lose consciousness. Something wet gurgled inside his throat and it pooled in his mouth in the form of blood. He couldn't turn over to cough it up and it further restricted Ezra's breathing.

Ezra knew this was it. He knew what was going to happen. He hated to leave his master in a fight for his life but...maybe...maybe it was better this way. He made a mistake. This was his punishment. His only regret was leaving Kanan in a fight for his life, but Kanan was strong. He would beat Maul. Ezra's hand lifted up, reaching towards his master before his vision greyed out and he sank into darkness.

 _"So this is what it is...to atone..."_

* * *

Kanan felt Ezra lose consciousness as soon as it happened. He could barely see his signature, but judging by the waves of panic flowing through the Force, the situation was bad.

Kanan had to end this fight, and fast.

Maul thrust his red blade towards Kanan. "The boy is mine now!" Maul roared. "You will not take my apprentice from me a second time!"

"You might not get him!" Kanan roared as he blocked, anger in his voice. "You might have killed him!"

"If I can't have him!" Maul retorted. "Neither can you! He made his choice! If he survives, I will get him to change his mind even if I have to beat him into it!"

Maul swung the blade at Kanan and Kanan heard the swing. The swing was too wide.

Maul realized his mistake too late as Kanan swept Maul's legs out from underneath him and knocked him to the ground. Before Maul could react, Kanan placed his foot firmly on the former Sith's lightsaber before flinging him against the durasteel wall. Maul slumped to the ground, completely unconscious.

Kanan wasted no time. He rushed towards his padawan and held his head steady. That's when Kanan noticed something wet on his face. Kanan's breath hitched as he realized what it was. Blood. Holding the child's head as to not cause further damage, Kanan turned Ezra over and cringed as he heard a rough and labored cough, followed by soft wheezing sounds.

Kanan immediately turned Ezra back onto his back and turned on his comlink.

"Hera? Do you copy?"

A reply came almost immediately. _"I copy. Is everything okay?"_

"You need to get down here now! It's bad!"

"I'm on my way. I'll alert medbay." Kanan could tell Hera was trying to stay calm, but he heard her voice quiver. He leaned down and lightly tapped Ezra's face. "Kid? Can you hear me?" He didn't get a response. He heard the _Phantom's_ engines rumble, followed by a soft thunk. A few seconds later, he heard Hera's strangled gasp.

Kanan turned towards Hera's frightened green aura. "Do we have a neck brace?"

Hera nodded and rushed inside. She emerged a few seconds later and rushed towards Ezra, strapping on the brace. Together, they lifted the critically injured teenager and took him to the Phantom.

They were long gone a few minutes later.

* * *

 _ **The following message is a recording, as Thiefy is currently in hiding from angry readers: Oopsie? Please don't virtually murder me! It's only a seven day wait! Right? Anyone? Oh, and before I forget, virtual hot chocolate and blankets are here for pickup! And I'll have more next chapter!**_

 _ **Remember, suggestions are now cut off. Thank you to all of you who suggested. I will start them soon. If I need to, I will reopen suggestions but until then, they are cut off.**_


	17. To Atone: To Break a Bond

_**Just wanted to clarify that I am not at all sorry for this. Also, to make up for the cliffie, review replies!**_

 _ **Lordandempressdoodle (this hopefully covers both of your reviews): I already have the next chapter prewritten but you'll see more of Vartoc's Vartocness soon though.**_

 _ **Future Teacher: Mwahahahaha!**_

 _ **Disney Syndulla: Wasn't Filoni. I am mostly self taught. :)**_

 _ **cassturn93: *Palpatine Voice* I can feel your anger.**_

 _ **Rebels-lover: I didn't kill Blueberry's neck. I just killed his windpipe.**_

 _ **Midnight Luna: He has grown so much. And thank you Midnight for stopping Inner Fangirl. Thiefy may be a crazy girl but I can't write when I'm dead. :)**_

 _ **Teenylambofgod: Thanks. I get the feeling that I will need this since I sense an angry mob currently approaching with pitchforks and torches.**_

 _ **Wisdom: Thanks! :)**_

 _ **sguti392: My story won't fit exactly anymore, but the reason I cut off requests is because of the trailer and because I have more ideas than Wednesdays left until October. Thanks for the support! :)**_

 _ **Starlight Moon Midnight: Have an infinite supply. :) Don't worry. My reviews acted up so I wasn't able to see them right away either.**_

 _ **mpathy: Kanan looks so cool!**_

 _ **Guest: *Hands you chapter* Hope this makes up for the wait. :)**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _When the mission takes a tragic turn, Kanan must do the impossible to save Ezra's life._

* * *

The second the _Phantom_ docked with the _Ghost_ , Kanan and Hera carried Ezra to the medbay. The others rushed forward, but Hera stopped them. "Stay out here. You too Kanan."

"But-"

Kanan was cut off by Hera. "Love, there is nothing you can do. Sabine, get the ship into hyperspace. Zeb, contact Commander Sato and ask for a medical team. Chopper, divert the power we don't need for hyperspace into the miedical equipment."

"What do you want me to do?" Kanan asked.

"Kanan, all you can do right now is wait. Maybe go into his mind or something. Keep him fighting."

Kanan nodded and sat down on the floor, his back against the wall. He centered himself and slipped away...

* * *

Something was very wrong. Kanan knew the second he entered Ezra's mind. Ezra's signature was floating and fading. He was surrounded in a red glow, which stemmed out into the infinite darkness. The more Ezra glowed, the more his actual signature faded. It was almost as if the glow was sucking the life out of him. Then, it hit Kanan like a ton of bricks. This was the bond that Ezra inadvertently formed with Maul on Malachor! And Ezra was dying because of it! Maul's rage was draining him!

 _"Ezra,"_ Kanan said to the dying signature. _"It's me. Stay with me. You can't die on me. Don't die on me."_

Maul's bond was so cold it burned his hand at the touch. Kanan hissed in pain as he began to unravel it. It was a tiring and tedious process.

 _"Listen to me,"_ Kanan told Ezra, even though he couldn't hear him. _"Just hang on. I'll have you out soon."_

Ezra continued to fade.

 _"Karabast! You can't die!"_

Kanan unraveled the bond until his entire body hurt and there was one thread left.

 _"No!"_

Kanan looked up as Maul decided to join the party. _"You can't break the bond! You'll block me from his mind!"_

 _"I think that's the point,"_ Kanan retorted. _"Goodbye Maul. And good riddance."_

Kanan snapped the last thread as Maul cried out. The red glow faded from Ezra's mind and it was peaceful for the first time in months.

But Ezra was still fading. Kanan began to shake as he cradled the dying light.

 _"E-Ezra..."_ Kanan muttered, a great pain shooting through his chest. However, he could not cry to relieve it. He looked at the fading signature, and he realized that Ezra no longer cared whether he lived or died. Kanan wouldn't have that.

 _"Ezra, listen to me,"_ Kanan whispered. _"I know these past few months have been difficult for all of us, especially you, but we can push through. We've always looked out for one another and I'm not letting you go this easily. Think about Hera, Rex, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper! They would be devastated if you left! Ahsoka wouldn't want you dead! Your parents wouldn't want you to die like this! And the people in the galaxy that you inspired! They need you just as much we do! And me! I need you too! I'm so proud of the progress you've made! I'm proud of the person you've become. You're the most selfless person I know! You can't die! Not when you still have so much to offer! Stay, and we'll get through this together. Please!"_

Ezra was almost nonexistent. Just before he faded away completely, Kanan heard a small voice speak up.

 _"Promise?"_

Kanan nodded. _"I promise."_

Ezra's signature brightened slightly. Within a few seconds, while the glow was still weak, it was there. Kanan wanted to laugh in hysterical joy, but he toned it down to a smile.

 _"I have to go now. I'll see you when you wake up, okay?"_

With that, Kanan withdrew from Ezra's mind.

* * *

Kanan was on the brink of exhaustion when he reentered the physical world. Sabine was slumped on the floor, her signature indicating that she was asleep. Zeb was pacing nervously. When he saw Kanan begin to look around, he sighed. "About time mate," Zeb softly as not to disturb Sabine. "You've been in Jedi land for nearly three hours."

"Three hours? H-how's the kid?"

"We don't know," Zeb replied. "Hera hasn't come out yet."

As if on cue, the door opened and Hera stepped out, exhausted. Sabine's eyes snapped open and she stood. Kanan also stood with a great amount of effort.

"He's not quite stable," Hera began, "but I've done as much as I could with what we have. He should hold out until we get back to Atollon, but he's going to need an operation for sure. Kanan, I don't know what you did, but it worked."

The memories came rushing back to Kanan, breaking the bond that Maul had formed, Ezra nearly fading away.

"What do you mean?" Kanan asked. "All I did was break the bond."

"Kanan," Sabine said softly. "You weren't awake when Ezra..." Her voice trailed off, her signature wavering in fear and sadness.

"For a few minutes," Hera explained, "Ezra was in cardiac arrest."

Kanan gasped. "You mean he...died?"

"For a few minutes, yes. I was able to resuscitate him, but I doubt it would have worked without you."

Kanan nodded slowly as the meaning sank in.

The ship lurched suddenly and Chopper wheeled in announcing that they were out of hyperspace and about to land.

As soon as they landed, Kanan was too exhausted to even use Force Sight. He slumped to the ground. The last thing he remembered was the sound of a gurney, a bunch of voices mingling together, and the sound of Hera calling his name...

* * *

 _ **Relax! Kanan is fine! He just broke a Force bond. Anyone would pass out from exhaustion after that! Did I make you cry? Did this make up for the cliffie? Good!**_

 _ **Now if you'll excuse me, I must fight off the angry mob that is currently at my door. *ignites darksaber* BRING IT ON!**_


	18. To Atone: Road to Recovery

_**Holy crud! I started a war!**_

 _ **To those of you who have sided with the Angry Mob™: It's not too late! Join the Dark Side! The benefits include cookies because we all know darksiders make the best cookies.**_

 _ **This is the last installment of the To Atone arc. Enjoy!**_

 ** _Edit: I bumped up Ezra's age from fifteen to sixteen because he is apparently seventeen in the new season. *mind explodes*_**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _As Ezra recovers, Kanan hears something he never thought he'd ever hear again._

* * *

Kanan groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him. He felt better than he did when he blacked out, but that raised a question. How long was he out?

"Kanan?"

Kanan saw the outline of Hera next to him and smiled, knowing his Force sight was back. "Hey."

Hera chuckled. "You alright dear?"

"Better than I was before."

"That's good to hear. You scared me to death when you passed out. Luckily the medical droid told me it was only exhaustion."

"Well, I did break a Force bond..."

"You told me you broke Maul's bond. Does that mean-"

Kanan nodded. "Maul's not getting back into his head." Upon remembering the kid, he quickly sat up. "Is Ezra-"

"He's alive and stable," Hera reassured.

"How bad was it? I know he went into cardiac arrest but I don't know anything more than that."

Hera sighed. "It was bad. He was lucky he didn't die before we left the base let alone before we got back to Atollon. When I told the medical team that his heart stopped, they weren't surprised at all. Maul pretty much crushed his windpipe. They had to completely replace it. His wrists were also badly bruised and he got a concussion. They aren't counting on him on him waking up for at least a week."

"A week? Wait, how long was I asleep?"

"About a day."

Kanan nodded. "So six more days... Can I see him?"

Hera stood and helped Kanan out of bed. He quickly noticed that his utility belt, boots, and armor were gone. Kanan put his boots on and turned to Hera. "Where am I anyway?"

"After the medical droid cleared you, I had you brought to your room on the _Ghost_."

Kanan nodded as they walked to the _Liberator_. "I guess that's reasonable. How long until Ezra is back on his feet?"

"His throat and neck were pretty messed up by the injury," Hera explained. "He also has some pretty nasty bruising. His vocal chords are already weak from disuse, and this hasn't helped at all. His wrists are expected to heal in about three days and his concussion already cleared up. His throat should be back to normal in a few days thanks to the bacta. The reason why they aren't expecting him up for a week is because his body is too damaged from lack of air and needs to sort itself out."

"Hera," Kanan forced his mind off of Ezra for a moment and onto another problem. "What does Vartoc think of all this?"

"He's pissed about the supplies. He's also not happy about how we put Ezra in surgery without his approval. Both Commander Sato and I are in pretty hot water because of that. I never thought we needed approval in order to save a critically injured sixteen year-old's life."

Kanan shook his head in disbelief. "Do you think Vartoc would have allowed it if he had known?"

"He questioned Commander Sato as to why Ezra hadn't been tried and executed because of what happened on Malachor. Who knows? Ezra is valuable to this rebellion. If Vartoc doesn't see that soon..." Hera's voice trailed off.

The trek ended just outside the door to where Ezra was. Kanan took a deep breath and entered.

He couldn't see Ezra's face, but he saw Ezra's stagnant signature and knew he was unconscious.

With a sad sigh, Kanan sat next to his charge and ran his hand through his hair. "His hair's gotten longer..." Kanan mused. "I just realized."

"It has," Hera replied.

"I can't see what he actually looks like Hera. What does he look like now? I mean, not now but before the mission?"

"He's gotten taller," Hera began. "He's almost as tall as Sabine, but he's lost weight. His eyes are still blue. They're duller than they used to be, but still blue."

"I just...don't want to forget what he looks like. What all of you look like..."

"You won't Kanan," Hera reassured. "We'll get you prosthetics as soon as we can and you'll see him again. You'll see everyone again."

Kanan nodded. "I hope so."

Hera watched the two of them sadly. Ezra looked frailer than ever. His skin was a chalky white, making the bags under his eyes more prominent. He had a brace on his neck and his wrists were bandaged tightly. He had a bruise on his temple as well.

Why?

Why did this happen?

Hera wanted to scream. Hasn't her crew suffered enough? Hasn't Ezra suffered enough?

Hers sighed and left the room, turning just in time to see Kanan lay a hand on Ezra's forehead.

* * *

Ezra was awake two days early.

Kanan woke to the Force flaring and the heart monitor beeping rapidly. Kanan followed his outline to his hands, hand that were grabbing at his neck. The brace...

"Ezra!" Kanan grabbed Ezra's hands gently. "Ezra, it's okay."

Ezra seemed to relax at the sound of Kanan's voice.

"Kanan? Is everything alright?"

Kanan turned towards the sound of a nurse's voice. "He's fine. Tell them he's awake."

The nurse left and Kanan turned back towards the bed. "You scared us to death, you know that?"

Kanan laid a hand on the side of Ezra's face, where he felt something wet. Ezra was crying.

"Ezra?"

Kanan wasn't expecting a reply, but he heard something he hadn't heard in months. It was raspy. It was weak from both near strangulation and months of disuse.

 _"Why?"_

Kanan let out a small gasp. Did Ezra...just speak?

After recovering from the shock, he replied. "Why what?"

"Why...d-didn't...you...just...let...me...go?"

"Ezra? What do you mean?"

"Why didn't...y-you just...let me...die?"

Kanan felt a pang in his heart. He was right. Ezra had given up back there. If Kanan hadn't intervened, he would have died, bond or not...

"Ezra, why would we let you die?"

"Because..." Ezra coughed. "Because...I messed up... I trusted the...wrong person... I killed Ahsoka... I...ruined your life..."

"You didn't ruin anything," Kanan reassured. "And Ahsoka's death wasn't your fault. Vader would have shown up, Maul or not. And Maul played you. None of this was your fault."

"That's what...everyone...says...but the Force...I think...said otherwise... That's...That's why I...nearly died...right?"

"No," Kanan sighed. "Again, that was Maul. Maul made a bond with you. You didn't know this, because I didn't want you to panic. I broke it while you were asleep."

Ezra was silent for a moment, then spoke. "I'm...never...going to forgive myself... Nothing...you say...can change that... But I-I...can try...to...live...and...make it right..."

"Ezra, you have nothing to atone for, and I'm not sure I like your definition of atoning. We're going to get through this kid. Like it or not, you're going to live a long life."

"That's...what we do..." Ezra mumbled. "R-right? We...look...after each other..."

Kanan gently pulled Ezra into a hug, smiling. "Now and forever."

* * *

 ** _So sorry Midnight Luna! I know you liked Mute!Ezra, but it had to be done. I have tons of requests that I am going to knock out now that Ezra is speaking again so look out for that! Now, if you'll excuse me, I must bribe the Angry Mob™._**

 ** _One other thing: I have started a forum! It is called the Dark Side and we can discuss predictions, headcanons, and ideas for fanfictions. If you can't find it, don't hesitate to PM me and I can get you the link. Please, please, please check it out._**

 ** _To all you Fire Emblem fans out there, (this is not a guarantee, just an idea) would you be interested in a Fire Emblem Star Wars Rebels crossover?_**

 ** _See you next week!_**


	19. Stronger Every Day

_**This one is short but fluffy. I think it ties up loose ends from To Atone, but it depends on how you see it.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Ezra is slowly getting stronger each day. So was Kanan and everyone else. Even when change happens, family stays the same no matter what._

* * *

Slowly but surely, Ezra recovered. Two weeks after he woke up, the brace came off. His voice was still scratchy and he needed medication to soothe the pain in his neck due to the bruising, but he had gotten used to his new windpipe. While he was quieter, he was speaking again, and that was all that mattered to Kanan.

One day, Kanan was eating in the common room when Ezra entered and sat next to him.

"Hera told me your hair was getting longer," Kanan said, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah," Ezra replied, his voice rough, as if he had a nasty cold. "I-" Ezra's voice temporarily gave out and he quickly cleared his throat to restart it. "I noticed it's at my shoulders now. It's kind...of getting in my way."

"Are you going to cut it?"

"Haven't decided yet. I might pull it back. Who knows?"

"So once again, you're copying me. First the lightsaber move, now the hair."

Ezra didn't laugh despite Kanan's joke. Instead, he just replied, "Well, I always stole from the best." He sounded flat, almost lifeless.

Kanan frowned. Ezra didn't laugh. Last time Kanan made that joke was during their practice duel, and Ezra cracked a smile. This time, there was no emotional response.

"Are you alright?" Kanan asked. This couldn't be right. He knew Malachor had changed Ezra, but was he really that broken?

"I'm fine," Ezra replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Kanan nodded. "Just...just making sure."

 _"He's talking,"_ Kanan reminded himself. _"At least he's talking. Three weeks ago he couldn't do that."_

Kanan refused to believe that the old Ezra was dead, and it was starting to look that way for a while. However, there was still a chance.

Ezra was getting stronger everyday.

* * *

After dinner that night, Kanan and Ezra sat silently in Kanan's cabin. There was no conversation. They had just finished meditating and were silently contemplating on what to do next. Suddenly, Kanan felt a slight pressure on his left shoulder. He knew exactly where that pressure was coming from and wrapped his arm around Ezra's shoulders. He felt Ezra relax physically and through the Force and smiled. The fact that Ezra felt safe with him gave him a warm feeling; a feeling some would call fatherly.

Kanan scratched his chin, noticing the facial hair growing there. He had contemplated on whether or not to have Hera shave it, but that didn't matter at the moment. It was time to break the silence.

"I know this is kind of out of the blue," Kanan began, "but how are you really?"

"Well, my neck kinda hurts from time to time and I still feel a little scratchy but-" Kanan gently cut him off.

"No, I meant, how are you really doing, you know, emotionally?"

"To be honest," Ezra replied. "Better than I was. I never did thank you properly. You kicked Maul out for good. Having him in there was terrifying. I didn't know why he kept coming until you told me."

"When you first woke up you said something," Kanan said taking a deep breath. He was dreading the answer to the incoming question but he had to ask it. "You wanted to know why I didn't let you die. I don't think I asked you this then, but was that honestly what you wanted? Do you still want that?"

Ezra was silent for a moment before speaking. "At the time I did. I thought that was the only way I could make up for my mistakes. Now, I honestly don't know what I want. I know I said I would try to live and I'm trying to move past what happened, but I feel confused..."

Kanan stiffened. "Do you remember when we had pie together a few months before Malachor?"

Ezra nodded.

"We made a promise that day. We made a promise that we would look after each other and that we would live. Do you not remember that?"

Ezra nodded slowly. "I do... I remember that... Kanan, I'm sorry. I nearly broke that promise..."

Kanan wrapped his other arm around Ezra and held him close. "I'm just glad you're still alive."

Ezra teared up slightly upon sensing the fear, affection, and relief coming from his master. He returned the embrace, gripping Kanan's shirt.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Ezra pulled away. When he did, he felt stronger and more grounded. He still wasn't back to normal, but it was a start.

"You should probably get some sleep," Kanan pointed out.

Ezra nodded. "Probably not a bad idea."

Ezra got off Kanan's bed and climbed up to his own. "Good night."

Kanan laid down and smiled.

"Good night, buddy."

Yes, Ezra was not quite back to normal, nor would he probably ever be, but it was a start.

Recovery was a long process but now the light was visible.

* * *

 ** _If you guys didn't catch the reference about the promise, it's from my other oneshot "The Cherry Pie Promise."_**

 ** _I honestly didn't like how this one turned out. I couldn't think of anything better so..._**

 ** _On another note, we hit two big milestones last week. Nightfall hit 200 reviews and 100 followers last week! Thank you so much! It makes me happy knowing people are invested in this story._**

 ** _Furthermore, we got a premiere date for Season 3! September 24!_**

 ** _Better news...well for you anyway...is that Nightfall was designed for an October release date and I still fully intend to wrap up this series after the premiere. What that means is there will probably be weeks with two updates. I can't make any promises on that, as there is still the possibility of going past the premiere, but I am doing my best. I am almost done writing for this series. I have five oneshots left to write, plus the ending one after the premiere, then I am finished! Very bittersweet, I know._**


	20. The Whipping Post

_**This does have a couple curses, but one of them you might find amusing. Let's just say I have nicknamed our friend (not!) Vartoc.**_

 ** _Beware of blood._**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _When Ezra treats an injured pilot, he realizes what his calling is._

* * *

It all started with the sound of a scream.

Ezra heard it from the ramp where he was meditating and instantly dashed towards the source.

He was horrified by the sight. A pilot, human male and around his early twenties, was handcuffed to a post. Vartoc was whipping this poor man and leaving bloody gashes across his bare back.

Ezra never trusted Vartoc. He disliked him the moment he insulted Kanan, but this incident turned dislike into loathe. He couldn't stand the sound of the man's screams nor did he like the sound of the whip.

So he did something reckless, dangerous, and borderline plain stupid, especially when dealing with someone who wanted to have him executed a month ago.

He interfered.

"STOP!"

Right as Vartoc brought the whip back to once again strike the pilot, Ezra got in between the whip and the post. Ezra knew Vartoc would have no qualms hitting him, but it was better than letting the pilot suffer any longer. Searing hot pain accompanied the sensation of ripping skin as the whip wrapped around his arm and tore his jumpsuit. Blood began dripping down his stinging arm.

A second later, Ezra heard a click, followed by a smack. Instantly, he felt white-hot pain across his face. His head shot sideways. The world spun violently and he saw stars fly across his vision as the ground fell from underneath him. Ezra felt a bruise form on his face. He looked up to see Vartoc looking down on him, blaster in hand. Ezra then realized that Vartoc had smacked him across the face with his blaster hilt. Ezra spat out some blood as he gripped his face with one hand and his arm with the other. Almost instantly, a bruise began forming.

"This is a routine disciplinary action Bridger," Vartoc snapped. "Stand aside."

"You call beating a man to death discipline?" Ezra spat. "What did he do?"

"He disobeyed orders!"

"How?"

"It's none of your concern! Now stand aside or I will hit you again."

Ezra glared at the General. "Go right on ahead."

Vartoc scowled and pointed the blaster at Ezra's head. A squeeze of the trigger would blow his head off.

"Hey!" Vartoc looked up. Ezra did the same and saw Kanan and Hera storming towards the scene of the crime. "What the hell is going on here?"

"He interfered with a disciplinary action!" Vartoc snapped.

"Since when was beating a man to death discipline?" Hera retorted, her rage causing her accent to surface slightly. "General, with all due respect, you're out of line. I could easily report this to Organa and have you court-martialed again. What did this man do to deserve this?"

"This man had orders to report directly to me, but he continued to report to Sato instead."

"Because he doesn't trust you!" Ezra snapped, clutching his bruised face. "No one does. Why would anyone trust someone like y-"

Vartoc's foot collided with the bruise on Ezra's face. His now swollen face protested to the harsh movement.

Kanan was at Ezra's side immediately, pulling him to his feet. "Let it go. You've punished this man more than enough. If you wanted to execute this pilot, you could have done it by firing squad. We're trying to fight the Empire, not become it. Let it go and we will too."

Vartoc growled. "Fine. Get them both out of my sight. I better not see either of them in my medbay. Treat the traitors somewhere else." He stormed away without another word.

Kanan turned to Ezra. "Can you walk?"

Ezra nodded and stood. A few seconds later, Zeb was there to carry the man into the Ghost.

* * *

Upon reaching the Ghost's medbay, Hera began to treat the man.

"Hera, can I help?" Ezra asked.

Hera's comlink went off, signaling that she was needed elsewhere. "Blast..." she muttered. "Ezra, you're going to have to. Make sure you get some ice on that though."

Ezra nodded. He did research on this before. He just needed to remember that. The man moaned in pain. Ezra laid a reassuring hand on his head. "Don't worry. I'll get some numbing agents and sedative. You allergic?" The man shook his head and Ezra made for the cabinets.

Ezra fumbled through the cabinets until he found what he needed. He injected the sedative into the man's neck and he instantly fell asleep. Ezra then injected the agent to numb the area. The man was so bloody...

Ezra shook off the thought. He did this before when tending to Kanan's eyes after Malachor. He could do this.

"You need help?" Sabine called as she rushed in.

Ezra shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You need ice."

"After I'm finished."

Sabine nodded. "Let me know if you need help.

"You could get some spare bandages just in case."

Sabine left instantly, doing what Ezra had asked. As she went to get the bandages, she was amazed. Where had Ezra learned this?

* * *

Dry blood made Ezra's arm feel sticky as he worked. It wasn't very sanitary bleeding everywhere, so Ezra had quickly bandaged his wound before getting to work, stripping away the man's shirt and helmet, rearranging torn skin, and cleaning the wounds. The door for slid open and Kanan walked in. "You're doing this?"

"Yeah," Ezra replied as he got the bandages Sabine brought him ready.

"Do you need help?"

"Everyone's asking me that today."

"Well, this is your first time treating something like this. How did you know what to do?"

"Research," Ezra replied.

Kanan nodded and stepped back to watch.

Once the shredded skin was put back where it belonged Ezra took a deep breath. This was his first attempt at doing something like this, and he wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth a shot. He closed his eyes and hovered his hands over the man's bloody back.

"Ezra?" Kanan asked, seemingly sensing what Ezra was about to do. Ezra shushed him and began to concentrate. He focused, picturing the man's wounds mending. When he opened his eyes a few minutes later, the wound looked a lot better. Ezra breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed into the chair.

"It worked."

"Wait," Kanan breathed. "You healed him...with the Force?"

"It isn't a complete fix, but I managed to stop the bleeding," Ezra replied as he began to apply bacta.

"But you healed him."

"A little."

To say Kanan was mind blown was an understatement.

* * *

A few hours later, the man's wounds were bandaged up. Ezra was sitting in the medbay checking up on him, holding an ice pack to his face. At Hera's insistence, his wound was properly taken care of.

The man opened his eyes with a groan and tried to roll over.

"Easy," Ezra said. "You're pretty beat up. Vartoc sure knows how to use a whip."

"I don't understand why he did it..." the man murmured, still out of it.

"Neither do I," Ezra replied. "As far as Hera's concerned, you did nothing wrong. What is your name?"

"R-Razore. K-Kyle Razore... Did...did you treat me?"

"I did what I could. You'll be okay. I was just trying to save your life."

"T-thank you..." Razore closed his eyes as he went back under.

Ezra sat there gaping. "Thank you? Why is he thanking me? If I hadn't gotten Ahsoka killed, Vartoc wouldn't have showed up and this wouldn't have happened..."

Suddenly, it dawned on Ezra. He realized what he needed to do.

* * *

"You what?"

Ezra was standing in front of Kanan and Hera in the common room, holding ice to his bruised face. Sabine was in the wooden chair, shock on her face. Zeb was standing in the doorway looking just as shocked.

"I'll still do Jedi training when we start that again, and I'll still do missions, but I want to be able to help people as best I can even though I know I'm not one hundred percent yet. Helping that man helped me realize that. I want to train as a medic."

Kanan and Hera exchanged a look. "I don't know how to heal people with the Force," Kanan began, "but I'm pretty sure there are lessons on my holocron."

"And I'm sure if I spoke to the right people," Hera added, "I can get a medic to train you."

"And General Jackass won't suspect a thing," Kanan finished with a grin.

* * *

 _ **This fits into my headcanon that Ezra will eventually learn to be a healer and double as a medic. And do you like my nickname for Vartoc?**_


	21. Fashion Upgrade

**_Since I am a nice person, have an early chapter._**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Ezra's clothes are too tight. Hera has a solution. Ezra gives himself a haircut. Hera's not impressed._

* * *

Two weeks after the incident with the pilot, Hera walked into the kitchen to find Ezra looking rather uncomfortable.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," Ezra muttered, tugging at his collar, his face still slightly. Hera heard the seams pop and the problem became apparent.

"Ezra, you've gotten taller."

"And?"

"And you've had those clothes for a while."

"Well..." Ezra admitted. "They have been feeling really tight. I noticed I lost some weight, but they still feel tight."

"Next time we go on a supply run, we'll get you some new clothes, okay?"

Ezra nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

As promised, Hera took Ezra with her on a supply run. When they landed at the trade station, they picked up the necessary supplies and headed to a clothing and armor store. There were so many clothes in so many styles.

Hera watched in amusement as Ezra's face morphed into a mix of bewilderment, confusion, and indecisiveness.

"Ezra?"

"I think my brain just melted..." Ezra breathed. "How do I choose?"

Hera chuckled. At least there was a little sense of humor left in him. "Let's look. I'm sure you'll find something."

Ezra nodded as his face went back to it's (unfortunately) normal, emotionless, expression.

After a bunch of trial and error, Ezra finally found a suitable outfit. He kept his old holster (all it needed was adjusting) and his gloves. However, he found a mustard yellow shirt with an orange jacket made specifically for his line of work. He also found a pair of brown pants and a new pair of boots And some armor. When Hera saw Ezra after he tried it on, she smiled. "You look very different."

Ezra shrugged. "I feel different. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner."

* * *

When Sabine saw Ezra when they returned, her jaw dropped. "You got new clothes!"

"I did," Ezra replied. Sabine's eyes fell on his wrist, where something very familiar was on his wrist.

"Is that your old slingshot?"

"It is." Ezra explained. "When I first got my lightsaber. Hera told me to hold onto it for old times sake. Unfortunately, until General Vartoc clears me for blasters or I get a new loghtsaber, I don't have much of a choice since Kanan left the quarterstaff on Choku Base."

Sabine shook her head. "I can never understand Vartoc. He thinks I have better things to do than paint. Painting is how I deal with everything! I mean, what do you do when everything is getting to you?"

Ezra paused. "I...guess I...I honestly never thought about it. I mediate sometimes, but that's about it."

Sabine smiled. "Maybe tomorrow I can give you a painting lesson?"

Ezra nodded. "I'd like that. Thanks Sabine."

Sabine nodded. "Anytime ki..." her voice trailed off upon see where she was in comparison to Ezra. Ezra...was as tall as her? Sabine quickly shook it off. Teenage boys tend to have growth spurts and as far as she could tell, Ezra, being almost sixteen, was long overdue for one. As Ezra left, she smiled. Her surrogate little brother had come a long way from the trembling mess that walked out of the _Phantom_ that terrible day.

* * *

Ezra frowned as he flicked at his long, dark, locks. He seriously needed a haircut. It was starting to get in his way and it was starting to annoy him. Ezra tried to remember where Kanan kept his scissors. After a bit of searching, he found them in the fresher. Ezra then sat down, contemplating the look he wanted. He was nearly sixteen and he wanted a completely new hairstyle. He quickly took Kanan's now useless razor out as well and smiled.

Sabine was growing out her hair and was getting ready to update her look as well, so why couldn't he?

Ezra turned on the razor and got to work.

* * *

"What...how...huh?" Hera started sputtering the second she laid eyes on Ezra's...interesting...new hairdo.

"Is it really that bad?" Ezra mumbled.

Ezra's hair was shorter now, much short per than it was originally before he let it grow out. However, the hair was super uneven, choppy, and looked outright awful. Heck, Hera could even pick out a bald spot.

"The razor wasn't doing what I told it too and..."

Hera cut Ezra off by raising her hand and got up from her seat in the cockpit. She then dragged Ezra to the common room and motioned for him to stay. She left the room, got the razor and scissors, and sat down.

"What are you doing?" Ezra asked.

"Fixing this mess."

"You know how to do hair?" Ezra asked, puzzled.

"Kanan is the same way. Even before Malachor, he couldn't give himself a haircut to save his life." Hera felt a pang at the fact that Kanan could no longer give himself a haircut. To lighten the mood quickly added, "I am also doing Sabine's later."

Ezra chuckled. "I guess you had to learn quickly."

Hera smiled. "I did."

An hour later, Ezra's hair looked decent. For good measure, Hera applied some hair gel to keep it in place.

"There. All better. Now, please refrain from giving yourself a haircut in the future."

Ezra laughed. "You got it. Thanks!"

Hera smiled. It wasn't everyday Ezra laughed anymore, and hearing him laugh filled her with a warm, motherly feeling.

"You're welcome."

* * *

 ** _From this point forward, everyone will have their season 3 designs. As for this chapter, I have this headcanon that Kanan is bad with scissors, and I had the feeling Ezra would be the same way. Like father like son I suppose._**


	22. Mania

_**Disney Syndulla, you wanted family fluff, have some family fluff woth a special touch of Bread Thief angst! (I also may or may not have made another Hunger Games reference.)**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _The day Ezra snapped was a day the crew wanted to forget._

* * *

Kanan knew it wasn't going to be a good day when he sensed the stress coming off of Ezra in waves. The last few missions had been rough and dealing with General Jackass wasn't helping. Combined with the assignments, his medical training, his Jedi training, learning the secrets of the holocron, Vartoc, and the fact that he was still suffering from PTSD, Ezra's mental state was starting the crumble once again.

Kanan decided to help Ezra meditate, thinking it would help.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Ezra couldn't focus and fifteen minutes into the session, it was clear the padawan was getting frustrated.

Suddenly, Ezra stood up, unable to meditate any longer.

"Hey!" Kanan snapped. "We aren't done here!"

"Well I am!"

Ezra stormed to the fresher and began rinsing his face with water.

He heard voices asking what happened, but he didn't care.

"Ezra?" Hera asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ezra replied bluntly.

"No, you're not," Kanan retorted. "You're stressed. Talking will help."

"I said I'm fine."

Soon, all of the Spectres had heard the commotion and were trying to get Ezra to talk.

"You can tell us anything. You know that right?"

"Come on Ezra!"

"Talk to us!"

"Let it out!"

"We won't judge!"

Ezra snapped.

"JUST SHUT UP!"

In a fit of rage, Ezra slammed his palm against the mirror. The glass cracked underneath his bare hand, distorting his reflection. His hand began to burn as blood dripped from the cuts formed by the sharp cracks. Tears began slipping down the boy's face while the other crew members stared at him, their faces a mixture of shock and concern. Ezra was breathing heavily, visibly shaking.

"J-just leave me alone!" Ezra snapped, his voice cracking. "Please..."

He staggered out of the ship, trembling from rage, anxiety, and the chilly evening air. Ezra's hand stung from the cuts. In the back of his mind, he knew he needed to get them bandaged, but he didn't care at the moment. He took off. He vaguely heard Kanan calling for him but Ezra just kept going. He grabbed one of the sensors that deflected the Krykna spiders and ran out of the base.

Ezra had no idea how long he ran. When he finally stopped he collapsed against a rock structure and tried to pull himself together. In frustration, he ripped off his jacket, wadded it into a ball, and screamed into it. He refused to cry though. He needed to be strong. He was carrying more and more on his shoulders and he needed to prove that he could handle it.

Who was he kidding? Breaking that mirror didn't help that cause at all.

He curled up into a ball and rocked himself back and forth in a futile attempt at providing himself with some comfort. After a while, Ezra had calmed himself slightly. He was still unable to have coherent thoughts, but he no longer felt the need to scream. In his muddled mind, Ezra knew he should start making his way back, but he wasn't ready, not to mention he was so tired. He uncurled himself and leaned against the rock, taking deep breaths. He was tired. His hand was hurting. He was shaking.

Ezra had no idea how long he sat there before exhaustion overcame him. Two bright lights blinded him and he knew no more...

* * *

Ezra could not remember falling asleep at all. He felt warm, and he soon realized that warmth was from the multiple blankets he was cocooned in. He also noticed that he was lying on something soft. He opened his eyes and found that he was in Hera's room.

What had happened? How did he get in Hera's room? He sat up, still physically and emotionally shaking from his breakdown and found that his jacket and boots, and equipment had been removed. Whoever brought him here must have stripped him of everything except his shirt and pants and put him to bed.

Ezra looked down at his hand and found that it was bandaged. He barely remembered breaking that mirror the night before. All he could remember was taking off and screaming into his jacket.

A set of soft thumping noises alerted Ezra to someone entering the room.

"Karabast. How am I going to explain this one? I probably scared them to death..."

The door opened and Ezra took a deep breath. He needed to act strong and not fragile like he did last night. He looked up at Kanan and Sabine's concerned faces. Ezra opened his mouth, about to say something, but a sob came out instead.

So much for being strong...

Kanan and Sabine were at Ezra's side instantly. Sabine ran her hand through Ezra's soft hair and shushed him while Kanan wrapped his arms around him. Under their gentle touches, Ezra's sobs became loud wails.

Kanan pressed Ezra's head into his shoulder and rested his head on top of Ezra's. Sabine shifted and rubbed Ezra's back as the boy continued to bawl. They stayed there until Ezra cried himself back to sleep.

* * *

When Ezra came around again, he felt much better. He was less shaky and felt less stressed. The first thing he registered was someone holding his hand. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sabine looking at him, her face full of concern. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Ezra answered in a soft voice. "Better than I did before."

"That's good."

After a few minutes of unbearable silence, Ezra's stomach growled. He suddenly wondered how long he slept.

Sabine perked up at the sound and Ezra blushed. She stood up, her hand releasing Ezra's. "I'll be right back with some food."

Ezra grabbed her wrist. Sabine turned to him. "What is it?"

"Don't go," Ezra whimpered. "Please. I don't want to be alone right now..."

Sabine nodded and sat back down before picking up her comlink. "Hera, could you bring some food? Ezra's awake."

"Be right there."

"Where is everyone?" Ezra asked.

"After you fell back asleep, Hera kicked Kanan out of the room so he could rest. He and Zeb were out all night searching for you. Zeb's also sleeping. You had us worried sick."

"I'm sorry," Ezra sighed. "I don't know what came over me."

"Hera says stress makes us do crazy things," Sabine replied softly. "We're just glad you're okay."

"How long did I sleep?"

"About twelve hours total, maybe more depending on how long you slept before we found you."

The door slid open and Hera entered with a bowl of stew resting on a tray. Sabine helped Ezra sit up before Hera placed the tray on his lap and handed him a spoon. Ezra scarfed down the stew, which wasn't surprising considering the fact that he hadn't eaten for a while. When he was finished, Sabine took the tray out of the room, leaving Ezra and Hera alone. Hera sat on the bed next to Ezra and wrapped an arm around him.

"I'm sorry for scaring you..." Ezra mumbled.

"Don't be," Hera replied. "You've been through so much. You had to get it off your shoulders. Just...next time you feel upset, talk to one of us. Don't let it get as bad as it did, okay?"

"Okay..." Ezra relaxed into Hera's shoulder and after a few seconds, smiled, feelimg like a small burden was off of his shoulders.

* * *

 ** _How was that? This is my first time writing a mental breakdown so I hope I did okay._**


	23. Invisible Scars

**_A request! A request! A fluffy request! This one is from Starlight Moon Midnight and Sharon Mckellie! Enjoy!_**

* * *

 ** _Summary:_** _The brutality that was the Seventh Sister's death still haunted Ezra. Requested by Starlight Moon Midnight and SharonMckellie._

* * *

 _"Strike her down!" Maul roared. "You want to end this? Finish her!"_

 _Ezra raised his lightsaber, ready to deal the finishing blow, when he saw fear in the Seventh Sister's eyes. He sensed fear. This sadistic and awful woman that had hunted him like an animal for six months could be ended in a second. No more running, no more wondering when she would leave them alone..._

 _Something inside Ezra stopped him. The fear he felt from the Inquisitor...he couldn't do it._

 _He was a Jedi, and he could not bring himself to strike down his unarmed opponent, enemy or not._

 _"I can't..." Ezra breathed. "I can't do it."_

 _Maul screamed with fury before hurling his saber at the Seventh Sister. She screamed as the saber hurdled towards her. It connected with her, killing her instantly. Ezra was horrified as he witnessed the gruesome and ruthless execution, his eyes unable to-_

* * *

Ezra shot up with a gasp, drenched in sweat and shaking from the nightmare/flashback. Was this normal? Ezra was by no means grieving, but at the same time, he didn't feel happy about the turnout of his duel with the Seventh Sister. "Ezra?" A sleepy voice asked from below him. "You okay?"

Great. Now he went and woke Kanan.

"I-I'm fine..." Ezra breathed. "Just had a nightmare. Nothing new."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

It went silent for a moment. Kanan was obviously still awake and knowing him, was currently planning on how to make Ezra talk.

It was going to happen eventually, so why not now?

"This is going to sound stupid," Ezra began. "But when we were on Malachor, the Seventh Sister attacked Maul and I."

"You told me she died when I asked the other day, but you never said how," Kanan breathed. "That was something you didn't want to talk about."

"We fought for a while until Maul started choking her with the Force. I had the chance to do it. After all she did to us, after all she put us through, I couldn't...I couldn't do it."

Kanan squeezed Ezra's shoulder. "And then what?"

"Maul threw his lightsaber at her. It hit her and...and it wasn't pretty. It wasn't pretty at all. But when it came down to it, I hesitated! What if that gets you killed? What of that gets someone else killed! I was too weak to kill the person who hunted us like animals for months! Why couldn't I do it? Why am I so kriffing weak?"

Kanan sighed. "Ezra, come here."

"Kanan, wh-"

"Just come down here."

Hesitantly, Ezra sat up and slid down the ladder and onto the floor. Kanan patted the space next to the bed and Ezra sat down. Almost instantly, Kanan wrapped his arms around Ezra. "You're not weak kid. In fact, you're the furthest thing from weak. The Jedi teach that killing someone who is unarmed, enemy or not, is wrong. As far as I'm concerned you did what you felt was right and that is not weakness. As for what happened next, I am so sorry you had to go through something like that."

Kanan truly felt terrible. He lost his eyes on Malachor, but it was nothing he couldn't adapt to with the Force. If there's one thing he learned over the years was that battles left scars, and not all scars could be seen. This was the first time Ezra wanted to talk about anything that happened when he was with Maul on Malachor. The fact that Ezra didn't completely shut down for good was a miracle.

"When you stepped in for that pilot who was getting beaten for no good reason, when you survived eight years on your own, heck, when you busted me out of the Soverign, that took guts. A weak person in your shoes probably would have died a long time ago."

"But-"

"No buts. Enough about that. Let's get some food in you. It'll help."

Ezra nodded and Kanan helped him to his feet, adjusted his mask, and sensed his way to the common room.

"Kanan?" Ezra mumbled nervously.

"Yes?" Kanan asked.

Without warning, Ezra flung his arms around Kanan's waist.

"Thanks. I really needed that."

Kanan smiled, a warm feeling, a fatherly feeling, rose within him. It was something that snuck up on him, but something he welcomed over time. Kanan was not about to go and try to replace Ezra's real father, but he would try to be there for him when he needed it.

It was what family did after all.

* * *

 ** _I'm a sucker for Father Son bonding. What can I say? (And the Captain Obvious award goes to...)_**

 ** _Sorry it's so short but I hope this is what you had in mind._**


	24. Presence

**_Sorry this is later than usual. I also apologize in advance for the shortness._**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Ezra has just created his new lightsaber and the holocron he has kept hidden has some tricks up its sleeve._

* * *

Ezra sighed in relief as the green blade hummed in the air. He had managed to save his crystal after his lightsaber was destroyed on Malachor and had recently (and secretly) acquired the parts to make a new one. He had his DL-11 now, so there was no need for a blaster on the hilt, especially after Vartoc (finally) cleared him for blasters. Not lightsabers however, strangely enough.

He had been working on the weapon on and off for the past week under strict instructions to be as discreet as possible. Ezra had barely been cleared for blasters and General Jackass (the unspoken, unofficial nickname for their "good friend" Vartoc) would most likely throw a fit if he caught Ezra using a lightsaber.

 _"This is to stay within the crew because Force forbid a Jedi can use a traditional weapon..."_ Kanan had told him.

Ezra rolled his eyes at the thought of Vartoc finding out about the saber and was about to leave the room when he heard a familiar voice.

 _"Leaving so soon?"_

Ezra froze at the voice. That voice was so cold and so familiar.

The voice echoed in his head, and Ezra sighed in relief knowing that no one heard.

 _"Fear not Ezra Bridger. You're the only one who can hear me."_

 _"What do you want?"_ Ezra growled into his mind. _"You're the reason we are all in this mess. You didn't give me what I wanted when I opened you in the first place!"_

 _"Because I wanted to make sure you weren't weak like you were at the Temple. You have passed my test. My secrets are yours. I sense much guilt in you child. Fear, anger... You've been dealt a great injustice and you seek to correct it."_

 _"I am trying to move past what happened,"_ Ezra sighed, sitting down and slipping into meditation. _"But I can't move past the fact that in the end, if I hadn't trusted Maul, we would have been long gone before Vader showed up. Kanan would still be able to see and Ahsoka would still be here. It all circles back to my mistake. I want to do what I can to make up, but dying is no longer an option."_

 _"You wished for death?"_

Ezra tensed. _"I did for a while. Not anymore."_

 _"I have been watching you since you have awakened me Ezra Bridger. You are spiraling out of control. You worry your master. You worry your friends. They fear for your safety, your sanity, your life."_

 _"Thanks for the update."_ Ezra muttered sarcastically.

 _"Watch your tone. I am giving you a chance to regain control of yourself. You've spent far to long hindering your abilities."_

 _"That's what I was taught to do. I was told that letting lose is a bad thing and that it could lead to corruption."_

The holocron laughed. _"Child, it is far too late for that. My secrets are yours. Take them. Train with them. Make the Empire and the one called Maul suffer for what they did. The temple may be destroyed but you aren't. Do what must be done."_

Ezra took a deep breath. _"Tell me what I need to know."_

* * *

Kanan felt cold. It wasn't like when someone cranked up the coolant system and it slowly got colder. Kanan felt like he was suddenly dipped in water on Hoth.

Something was very wrong.

* * *

 ** _So sorry this is short. I didn't know how I could continue this without rambling. My Saturday update will most likely not be a Saturday update. I will probably post again on Monday time permitting._**


	25. A Medicated Ezra is a Loopy Ezra

_**A while back, Midnight Luna and SharonMckellie requested something along the lines of a training session gone wrong. It originally started out as a fic where Ezra gets a concussion and is knocked out for a while, but I figured why not lighten up the mood a bit, mine included since I'm a bit sick... :(**_

 _ **Also, since I am such a kind person, review replies!**_

 _ **rebel-blueberry: BEEDO! BEEDO! BEEDO!**_

 _ **weathergirl17248: Glad to hear it! Love the name by the way.**_

 _ **sguti932: I wasn't planning on it. I was going to hope Season 3 addressed it. Sorry about that. :(**_

 _ **Disney Syndulla: I believe the voice of Ventress from the Clone Wars voiced the holocron. I like to think she is Darth Traya, but who knows? :)**_

 _ **Sakura245: I sometimes like dropping cliffhangers, as everyone probably knows by now. *coughBiologicalEmergencycough***_

 _ **Teenylambofgod: Yes! Because Light Side cookies have raisins!**_

 _ **Midnight Luna: Oh yes indeed. :)**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _A training session goes wrong and Kanan finds himself having to deal with a loopy Ezra after a bout of pain meds. Requested by Midnight Luna and SharonMckellie!_

* * *

Kanan was soon comfortable enough with his sight that he wanted to start touching up on Ezra's lightsaber skills.

"Are you sure about this?" Ezra asked worriedly.

"Ezra, it'll be fine," Kanan reassured. "I need to work on my aim anyway."

"Okay..." Ezra ignited his lightsaber, still unsure.

It went well at first. Ezra had his eyes closed so he could sense each stun blast going towards him.

"That all you got?" Ezra taunted.

Kanan smirked. Using the Force, he pulled Ezra's blaster towards him.

"HEY!" Ezra yelled, nearly avoiding a stun shot.

"You asked me if this was all I got?" Kanan sneered, the smirk not falling.

Ezra's face fell. Kanan set Ezra's blaster to stun and began shooting blue rings out of both blasters. Ezra laughed and got to work.

Ezra was able to deflect them all but soon, he was overpowered.

Kanan knew he overdid it the second a blue ring connected with Ezra's signature. He began moving towards Ezra as he fell, ready to apologize for getting carried away and tell him he needed to be more focused when he heard the thunk.

Even with his Force sight, there was no way Kanan could know that there was a rock right next to his padawan.

"Ezra!"

* * *

Ezra was awake a few minutes later, looking completely out of it as Hera shined a light in Ezra's eyes. She frowned. "Well, you hit your head pretty hard..."

Ezra looked at Hera, having a hard time focusing on her. "I'm training to be a medic. I know what a concussion is."

"Well, it isn't bad, which is the good thing. The bad news is you're going to be out of commission for a couple days."

"My head hurts."

Hera nodded and handed Ezra a few meds. She then turned to Kanan and handed him the bottle. Despite having apologized as soon as Ezra woke up, Kanan still felt bad. "Have him take these every four hours. You're going to have to watch him because the medicine makes him a bit loopy."

"Oh boy..."

It wasn't long before the medication kicked in. Kanan knew loopy was an understatement as soon as Ezra began rambling about butterflies and cookie dough. He sighed as he sipped his drink.

"Butterflies are pretty. I like butterflies. I also like cookie dough. You know, I wonder what cookie dough butterflies would look like. Or butterfly cookie dough."

Kanan wished he could still roll his eyes as Ezra continued his rambling. As much as Kanan wanted to put him to sleep, he was under strict instructions not to do so until 2000 hours. Technically, he could sleep safely but Hera did not want to take any chances until the medication had fully kicked in. According to Hera, it was 1400.

It was going to be a long six hours.

About an hour into the wait, Ezra stopped talking and began pacing aimlessly around the room, crashing into things constantly. Kanan watched the blue aura drift back and forth across the room and recoil with every collision with a white line.

"Ezra, sit down," Kanan sighed. "Hera will kill me if you hurt yourself again."

"Hera won't kill you!" Ezra replied as he sat down. "I mean, you love her right? And she loves you."

Kanan nearly spat out his drink. _"Yeah, I love Hera. I don't know what kind of love it is, but yeah, I love Hera. She's just been too focused on the rebellion lately and rightfully so and I have a feeling she returns my feelings and we kissed a few times and-"_

Ezra laughed.

Kanan's heart sank when he realized he had thought out loud.

"So you admit it!"

Kanan sighed.

"Detective Ezra comes through again!" Ezra cheered.

Kanan swore under his breath and his mind flashed back to the time he had (mistakenly) given Ezra kaff.

"You know," Ezra said, his signature suddenly right in front of Kanan. "You should really stop saying those words. They aren't very nice words. AP-5 told Chopper you could get disintegrated in six systems for saying that."

"I don't care what AP-5 said to Chopper. I'm not a droid."

"What if you were half droid? Would that get you disintegrated in six systems? And which six systems can you get disintegrated in? That would be nice information to know since Chopper swears a lot. I think you take after him. Or he takes after you. You swear a lot too."

"What?" Kanan protested. "I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do- Why am I arguing with you like I'm a child?"

Ezra laughed again.

Kanan paused for a moment. It's been so long since he actually heard Ezra laugh regularly. Sure, the last two times, Ezra was acting off of his medicine but he laughed. Ezra was in no means fully recovered, and Kanan doubted he ever would be, but Ezra was showing some signs of normalcy...aside from the fact the he matured a lot over the past months. Kanan placed a hand on Ezra's head affectionately despite the fact that Ezra no longer had much hair to ruffle.

He quickly took his hand off of Ezra's hand remembering his concussion.

The kid really should have been lying down, but Kanan was afraid he would fall asleep, which would incur the wrath of Hera.

Kanan sighed and stood, pulling Ezra to his bed and sat him down. "If you stay awake, I'll see if Hera can put something on for you."

"Okay."

* * *

The rest of the six hours passed rather quickly despite the fact that Ezra was beyond loopy from the medication. He went from watching his show to rambling random plants to watching his show to begging to play Rock Paper Scissors with Kanan to watching his show to staring aimlessly into space to watching his show to-

Needless to say, Kanan was relieved when Hera came in and allowed Ezra to sleep. She turned off the show and told Ezra and Kanan goodnight before leaving. Suddenly, Kanan felt a weight on his shoulder and heard Ezra breathing deeply. "Uh... Hera? Did he fall asleep on my shoulder?"

Hera laughed. "Looks like he did."

"Are you going to help me?"

"He needs the sleep Kanan. If you are that bothered by it, move him."

"But that will make me look like a jerk!"

"Exactly. Night love."

Kanan shook his head. Ezra would be embarrassed when he woke up but he was still rather off from the medicine so Kanan let it slide. He knew he'd eventually have to yank down a bedroll and take the floor and let Ezra have the bed, but he was far from tired. With a sigh, Kanan slipped into meditation, an amused smile on his face.

"Don't get too comfy."

* * *

 ** _Ezra may seem out of character but to be fair, he was on medication with a side effect of being loopy. I think I got Kanan's reaction to it right though._**


	26. War Stories

_**Rebel Specter 6, this one's for you! I hope this is what you wanted.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _When Ezra suddenly gets sick, Kanan has to leave Rex in charge while he goes to a briefing._

* * *

Kanan rubbed Ezra's back as another coughing fit wracked his body. He was shivering and wrapped in a blanket, trying to stay awake while the medical droid, which Sato had been kind enough to lend to Hera, examined him. Kanan felt frustrated at the fact that not only was Ezra sick, but when Hera requested permission from General Jackass to take Ezra to the Liberator's medbay (although why she had to ask was beyond her), the answer was no.

"Breathing is raspy and he has a fever. Respiratory system seems to be the cause."

"Well?" Hera, who was trying to bring down Ezra's fever, asked.

"Not to worry," the droid stated. "He only has Post-Rubrosis Flu."

Kanan shuddered at the term "Rubrosis." About a year back, Ezra had caught the disease and had nearly died. The experience of going after the cure was a nightmare. "How is that a good thing? When he had the Red Fever, it nearly killed him!"

The medical droid gave Kanan the droid equivalent of a dirty look. "This is completely normal for Rubrosis survivors not to mention completely harmless if caught in time, which it has. He's had Rubrosis in the past?"

"He has," Hera mentioned, slightly unnerved. "A year and a half ago."

"What stage?"

"Three..." Kanan murmured, wanting so badly to change the subject. Even though it had been a year and a half since the incident with the Red Fever, the experience still haunted both Kanan and Hera.

"Then it is Post-Rubrosis flu, which occurs about one to two years after recovery. He should only experience stage one symptoms but they should not escalate and will clear up within a couple of days. You are familiar with the symptoms. If he begins displaying symptoms of stage two and higher, report to me immediately. A relapse after this long is rare but not impossible. The cure should have taken the disease out of his system but it does not build immunity."

"W-why is the droid here?" Ezra muttered as he woke up. "I feel fine..." As if on cue, Ezra coughed again.

"Liar," Kanan teased. He turned back to the medical droid and continued, his. "So it's just a flu you get after nearly dying from a deadly-should-be-extinct-disease?"

"I can do without the sarcasm," the droid retorted, "and yes, he should be okay in a few days."

Kanan nodded. "R-right..."

* * *

Of course, there was a briefing called, and of course, the rest of the crew, minus Ezra for obvious reasons, was required to go.

Kanan, needless to say, was in a panic, not wanting to leave Ezra alone by himself. He sat on the edge of his bunk, adjusting one of the many blankets covering his padawan. Kanan didn't think Rex was called to the briefing, which made Kanan relieved. At least Ezra would be in trustworthy hands. He pulled out his comlink and spoke. "Rex? You there?"

 _"I'm here,"_ came the reply. _"How's Ezra holding up?"_

"He's out cold at the moment, which is good," Kanan replied, rubbing Ezra's arm gently. "Were you called today?"

 _"No. Why?"_

"I was called and I don't want to leave Ezra by himself."

 _"Do you need me to come look after him?"_

"If you could that would be great."

 _"No problem. I'm on my way."_

The connection cut and Kanan sighed in relief.

* * *

As promised, Rex was on the _Ghost_ a few minutes later. "Thank you so much for taking care of him," Kanan said as he prepared to leave.

"It's no problem," Rex replied. "I'll contact you if he shows further symptoms."

Kanan knelt next to his padawan, who was sprawled out on the bed, dead to the galaxy. He had kicked off his blanket, so Kanan picked it back up and spread it over him. He then lightly tapped Ezra's face. When he sensed that Ezra was awake, he spoke. "I'm leaving for the meeting. I'll be back in an hour. Rex is here to watch you while I'm gone."

"Okay..." Ezra murmured.

"See you later."

"Okay..."

Rex sighed internally. If Ezra was barely responding, he must have not been feeling well at all.

When Kanan left, Rex sighed, wondering what to do.

Watch the holonet? No good. He already checked and there was nothing on.

Eat some food? Probably not a good idea. He had a hard time keeping food down when he had Red Fever and if this was an aftershock, food needed to wait.

Suddenly, an idea came to Rex. "Did I tell you about the time I ran into a deserter on a mission to Saleucami?"

"No..." Ezra rasped. "What happened?"

"I'm sure you've heard of General Grevious, one of the Separatist leaders during the Clone Wars."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah, I've heard of him."

"General Kenobi's clone batallion was dispatched there and I was sent with them. However, when a group of us went to search an area, we were ambushed and I was injured. My brothers took me to a farmhouse they found ran by another clone named Cut Lawquane and his family."

Ezra listened to the story as best he could, fascinated by it. The deserter, his family, the droids, it was quite the adventure it seemed.

* * *

When Kanan returned from the meeting, he heard Rex talking to Ezra. He entered the room and sensed two blue signatures, one slightly stagnant with fatigue and the other bright.

"After that, I left to head back to the others, but meeting Cut and his family is an experience I will never forget." Rex looked up upon hearing the door open. "Oh, hey Kanan."

"Hey," Kanan replied. "Is he asleep?"

"No..." Ezra said softly. "Rex was just telling me a story."

Kanan smiled and sat down on the bed, resting a hand on Ezra's clammy forehead. "Thanks Rex," Ezra murmured before his signature went completely stagnant.

"He seems to be better," Rex explained. "Just tired."

Kanan nodded. "Thanks Rex. I mean it."

Rex stood as he prepared to leave. "Anytime, Kanan."

As Rex left the room, he was shocked at how into the story Ezra was. It was one of Rex's more innocent war stories, the others being too graphic and/or too painful.

Rex was glad he did told the story though. Ever since the war ended, Rex sometimes caught himself wondering where Cut was now? Was he still with his family? He had gone to him before Order 66 and told him to get surgery done to remove the chip, but did he do it?

It was too dangerous to go to Saleucami now to check on the Lawquanes, but maybe once this war ended, he could.

It was just another things for him to look forward to when the Empire finally got what it deserved.

* * *

 ** _I had a lot of trouble picking out a Clone Wars episode for this story, which is part of the reason this story took so long to do. Clone Wars was my childhood, and I wanted to use an episode that wouldn't be painful for Rex to talk about nor overly graphic. (If you've seen Clone Wars, then you know it got pretty graphic in some episodes.) I figured "The Deserter" from Season 2 was a good one. I was going to do "Carnage of Krell," which is my favorite episode ever by the way, but I decided against it._**

 ** _Hope I did what you wanted Rebel Specter 6!_**

 ** _One more thing: Saturday's update will be delayed until Tuesday. You'll see why soon._**

 ** _Until next time everyone!_**


	27. Ezra's Seventeenth Birthday

_**Today is my birthday, so have a birthday special! Fair warning, Kanan's a bit OOC, but honestly, it's fluffy so I don't think you'll mind. Also, beware the wild Vartoc lurking at the beginning.**_

 _ **Edit: Fixed the first sixteen. Thank you to those who alerted me to it. :)**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Ezra's seventeenth birthday is fast approaching. Vartoc has no plans to crash Empire Day so to lighten the mood, the crew sneaks away and throws a surprise party for Ezra. A BreadThief98 Birthday Special!_

* * *

"No," Vartoc snapped. "Absolutely not. We have our hands full fighting the Empire. We are not throwing some party for a traitorous brat who, by the way, I still feel should be placed in front of a firing squad. Anything else?"

Hera nodded politely although it took every bit of restraint she had not to strangle the Nautolon.

Empire Day was just a week away, meaning Ezra's seventeenth birthday was coming up. Hera wanted to throw a party aboard the Liberator, but of course, General Ser Vartoc had to ruin it.

 _"I trust you Senator Organa, but why him?"_

Hera knew she had to follow Vartoc's orders but she couldn't bring herself to follow this one. Hera had tried to make the party make tactical sense, saying it would boost morale, but Vartoc and happiness seemed to mix like oil and water. Therefore, Hera did the next best thing.

"While I'm here General," Hera began. "I am requesting permission to take my crew and go on a supply run. We will be gone for a few days at most. The Ghost is short on supplies and we certainly need them."

Vartoc sighed. "Fine. Get your blasted supplies."

Hera smiled. "Thank you, sir."

* * *

 _ **A week later...**_

"So what's the plan?" Kanan whispered. He knew Ezra was asleep, but did not want to take any chances.

"You and Chopper are going to take him on the supply run," Hera began. "I got supplies and presents from the last supply run we went on, like you asked. I'll bake the cake and Zeb and Sabine can decorate the _Ghost_."

"Okay. Comm me when you're done."

"Will do," Hera replied.

Early the next morning, Kanan climbed out of bed and with Hera's help, got ready. Immediately after, he sensed his way to the top bunk and lightly shook Ezra. "Ezra," he whispered. "Ezra."

Ezra woke with a small start. When his little scare subsided, his signature began to go stagnant again. "Come on, Ezra," Kanan said. "We have the supply run, remember?"

Ezra moaned, remembering what day it was. He wasn't really feeling up to anything, but they needed supplies while the Imperial patrols were out celebrating.

Ezra hopped out of bed and was met with Kanan's arm around his shoulder. "Happy birthday," he said softly. Ezra didn't answer. He only looked down.

* * *

As Chopper piloted the _Phantom_ towards a trade station that, believe it or not, was actually open, Kanan was quiet, thinking of ways to help his padawan. After a long silence, Kanan wrapped his arm around his padawan and pulled him close. Ezra didn't respond, out of it for obvious reasons. His blue signature didn't even relax. "I'm sorry," Kanan muttered. "I wish this could be a happy day. It's your birthday and thanks to the Empire..." his voice trailed off.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Ezra replied. "My birthday never felt real to me anyway. When you share a birthday with the Empire and the tenth anniversary of your parents' being arrested, it's hard to feel happy."

"Today's the seventeenth anniversary of my master being killed and the Jedi Order falling," Kanan replied. "I know what it's like to not feel happy on a today like today. Think of it this way though. You gave us a reason to celebrate today. We need to look at the good things and not just focus on the bad. Ever since you came into my life, you've brought back a part of me that I thought I had lost long ago. You gave my life even more purpose than before. I owe you for that."

Suddenly, Kanan felt Ezra's signature brighten with emotion. "Thank you..." Ezra whispered. "You changed my life too... Without you, I'd still be on the streets if I wasn't dead. You saved my life. If anyone is in debt, it's me. Thank you so much Kanan..." Kanan pulled Ezra closer and smiled.

"Happy birthday, kid. I love you."

Ezra's eyes widened, not expecting his master's answer. He smiled, closing his eyes, feeling safer than he had been in months. "I love you too..."

* * *

A few hours later, Kanan and Chopper led Ezra into the common room. The second Ezra entered, his jaw dropped. In front of him, the other crew members were smiling.

The common room was completely decorated with streamers and balloons. There was a cake on the table with seventeen fake candles* and there were a few presents nearby.

"Surprise!" Sabine said with a smile.

Kanan pushed his mask back into place and smiled, waiting to hear Ezra's reaction.

Ezra's eyes watered and he began to do a combination of sobbing and laughing. Hera came over and led him to the wooden chair. "You alright?" Zeb asked.

Ezra nodded. "I'm fine. I'm awesome actually. You did this for me?"

"Well, we figured you could use something to lighten up your day," Hera said with a smile.

Ezra felt tears of joy stream down his face. "Thank you... Thank you..."

* * *

It was late at night. Zeb, Sabine, and Hera had just cleaned up before landing on Atollon. Ezra was already in bed, having eaten his cake and opened his gifts. The poor kid was exhausted and Kanan couldn't blame him. Sabine and Zeb had both turned in as well and Chopper was who-knows-where, so it was just Kanan and Hera. They were on the sofa, sitting in pleasant silence, Hera's head resting on Kanan's shoulder. "I think we did good, love," Hera said softly.

"I think so too," Kanan replied.

"Is something wrong?" Hera asked. She couldn't read his expression properly because of the mask covering his eyes, but she had known him long enough to know her partner was lost in thought.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

Kanan sighed. "I told the kid I loved him today." Hera looked at Kanan, her eyes softening. Kanan continued. "I mean, I have been basically raising him for two years now and he was having a pretty rough day. I just thought he needed to hear it."

"You meant it, right?"

"Of course I did. I guess I just haven't had to courage to tell him until today."

"And what did he say?"

"He said he loved me too. I have no intention of replacing Ezra's father but I feel like I've raised him. He's grown a lot these past couple of years."

"And he's improved a lot since Malachor," Hera replied. "You had a hand in that you know."

Kanan nodded. "Hera, do you think I still would have met Ezra if the Empire hadn't fallen?"

Hera smiled. "I don't doubt it for a second."

* * *

 ** _*I don't think fire and space mix so I went ahead and made the candles fake._**

 ** _I wrote this before I found out Ezra was seventeen so I hope I fixed them all. If not, please tell me and I'll fix it as soon as I'm able._**

 ** _How did you like that? The next chapter will be up tomorrow like normal. I just wanted to do a little celebratory chapter for my birthday and Ezra's birthday!_**

 ** _See you tomorrow!_**


	28. Small Comforts

_**Well, finally some mother son fluff for ya! This was requested by...a lot of people.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _After Hera catches Ezra hugging his pillow at night, she gets him something to help him sleep comfortably._

* * *

Hera made it a habit to check on Ezra and Kanan every night.

Ezra was getting better, but he more often than not woke up in the middle of the night. He wasn't screaming as much and he went back to sleep after he calmed himself, but not before the distress woke Kanan. Pretty soon, it became apparent that Zeb was going to have his cabin back to himself indefinitely.

For the last few months, she found Ezra hugging his pillow like a child would a stuffed toy. While the beds were soft, they weren't that soft. While Ezra didn't complain, she could only imagine how uncomfortable it was to sleep like that. When this crossed the Twi'lek's mind on a supply run on a trading station, she decided to do something about it.

When she reached the general store to get basic supplies, she looked around. After grabbing boxes of food, drinks, tools, and other basic supplies, she went to go check out.

That's when Hera saw it. On the wall behind the counter, she saw a stuffed Loth-cat.

She turned to the cashier, an older woman with salt and pepper hair and grey eyes. "That an import?"

The woman nodded. "We've had it for a while," she said. "Since those rebels left Lothal and the planet was put under lockdown, everyone's been afraid to buy Lothan imports. They're worried the Empire will not react well. I'm impressed you've identified it. You're from Lothal?"

"No," Hera replied. "But my son is. How much is the cat?"

The woman smiled and got it down from the shelf. "You keep it. It's yours."

Hera was in shock for a moment, before she smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."

It was late by the time Hera returned. In a moment of absolute giddiness, she had bought a blue ribbon to tie around the stuffed cat's neck. Dinner was late that night, and after an amazing casserole made by Sabine, Ezra went to bed. Before he did so, Hera grabbed the toy and went to her cabin.

Ezra was getting ready to climb to his bed when he heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

The door opened and Hera walked into the room with an excited smile on her face. Ezra gave Hera a confused look. Never in his life had he seen Hera that excited. She carried a brown paper sack in her arms and handed it to Ezra. "Open it," she said.

Ezra sat down on Kanan's bed and opened the back. When he pulled out the stuffed cat, his face morphed into shock.

Hera felt a pang of nervousness. Did Ezra not like it?

"Y-you got this?" Ezra asked. "You got this...for me?"

Hera nodded. "Do you like it?"

Ezra looked at Hera before putting the bag aside. Not putting the cat down, Ezra stood and threw his arms around Hera. "I love it," Ezra said with a smile. "Thank you so much!"

Hera felt her eyes burn as she returned the hug. "You're welcome Ezra."

They stayed in that hug for a while before Hera reluctantly pulled away. "Get some sleep, okay?"

Ezra nodded. "Good night, Hera."

"Good night, Ezra."

She watched as Ezra climbed into bed, clutching the cat close. He was asleep within minutes, and with a smile, Hera pulled the covers over him, turned out the light, and left without another word.

When she stepped into the hall, she nearly crashed into Kanan. "Oh, hey," Kanan greeted. "What was in that bag that you were so excited about?"

"A stuffed toy for Ezra."

Kanan seemed a bit baffed for a moment. "Isn't he a bit old?"

"Considering the fact that he told me he loved it, hugged me, and proceeded to hold it when he went to bed, I say no."

Kanan laughed quietly as he left the room, pecking her on the cheek. "If you say so. Night Hera."

Hera smiled, feeling happy that Ezra liked the gift.

Ezra's reaction would be a memory she would cherish forever.

* * *

 ** _I know a lot of people have given Ezra a stuffed cat but I wanted to do my take on it. Let's face it: Ezra with a stuffed cat is flipping adorable._**


	29. The Shadowy Grove

_**We're getting down to the wire! Three chapters left!**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Ezra has a strange method of comforting himself._

* * *

It was late and Ezra had already gone to bed. It had been a while since he woke up hysterical, but that night's nightmare shook him to the core. He had watched his family be slaughtered. He had watched his parents be arrested all over again. Everything that could have gone wrong in the dream went wrong. He didn't scream thankfully, but he needed to calm himself down or things were going to start flying. He quietly slid out of his bed and after making sure he didn't wake Kanan, he exited the room.

Little did he know Kanan had been awake for a while.

Kanan had sensed his padawan's distress the moment the nightmare hit. He gently eased Ezra back into the waking world, but Ezra was so shaken up he didn't even sense Kanan was awake. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kanan heard footsteps and the sound of the door. A few seconds later, Kanan snuck out behind him.

Ezra ducked into a closet and curled up, willing the anxiety to go away. He rocked on his heels. He had to comfort himself somehow. A song was the first things that came to mind, a song he once heard his parents sing. He took a moment to try to remember the lyrics before his mouth opened and a melody filled the silent room.

 _The dead man, he sang in the shadowy grove_

 _Lost and broken nowhere to go_

 _Time has no meaning once it has past_

 _Here in the shadowy grovE_

* * *

Kanan was halfway to the closet when he heard the song. He paused for a moment, listening. Was that his padawan singing? Kanan couldn't believe he had never heard Ezra sing before. His voice was beautiful. Kanan continued towards the closet where Ezra was currently hiding. He didn't recognize the song. It had to be a Lothan folk song. He moved slowly, continuing to listen.

 _The trees they are grey in the shadowy grove_

 _Lifeless and dim, without any hope_

 _Time has no meaning once it has past_

 _Here in the shadowy grove_

Kanan stopped just outside the closet, blocking himself enough to keep Ezra from knowing he was there, but not too much in fear of sending the boy into a panic. He continued to listen, still in awe.

 _Someday light will reach the shadowy grove_

 _There will be joy that was lost long ago_

 _Time has no meaning once it has past_

 _Here in the shadowy grove_

Kanan heard the singing stop. He waited for a few moments, making sure Ezra wasn't going to sing some more. After making sure he was finished, Kanan decided to make his presence known.

* * *

Ezra had just stopped singing. He felt calm again and was about to fall back asleep in that very closet when he heard a knock at the door. Ezra opened the closet and found himself face to face with Kanan. "How long have you been standing there?" Ezra whispered nervously. Force, did Kanan heard Ezra sing? That would be unbelievably embarrassing!

"Long enough," Kanan replied with a smile. Ezra felt himself turn a deep red. Kanan must have sensed Ezra's embarrassment because he placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go back to my room."

Ezra nodded and followed.

* * *

"I don't know why you're embarrassed," Kanan told Ezra after they reached the cabin. "That was beautiful."

"It was?" Ezra asked timidly. "I just don't sing very often."

"Why not?"

"Well, music was very big in my family. My parents would take turns singing me to sleep every night. My mother would sing while doing the dishes and my father sang as he worked. They made sure I knew all the folk songs."

"So you didn't want to bring up memories? Ezra I'm-"

"No, it's not that. Singing just dropped on my priority list after my parents were arrested. Street performing was illegal and I had better things to do. It pretty much fell between comic books and starships on my priority list. At least starships would give you tips about food shipments..."

"Was that one of the folk songs?"

"It was, at least it was at first. It became a song of rebellion after a while. It hasn't been outlawed yet. The Empire outlawed some of the newer ones after finding out what they meant but they haven't found out about the older ones. The ones that sort of evolved after the Empire rose to power."

Kanan nodded. The first time he had come to Lothal was shortly after they had met Sabine. He had done his research and found that it had been colonized for a while. It may not have had it's own language, but it did have its own culture. But folk songs? That was new.

"How many are there?" Kanan found himself asking.

"How many what?" Ezra replied. "Songs of rebellion?"

"Yeah."

"A bunch actually. I could teach you if you wanted."

Kanan smiled. "That'd be great."

Kanan did not know any folk songs from his home world. Heck, he hadn't even been to his home world since the Jedi Order took him as a baby. However, it was something he was interested in now. He would need help learning them due his his blindness, but he vaguely wondered if his homeworld had any songs of rebellion.

To the Empire, they were just songs.

To the rebels, they were another step towards victory.

* * *

 ** _Wrote that song myself. It is based off a headcanon of mine. Is it bad that I want to hear Ezra sing at least once? Just once?_**

 ** _Just one week until Rebels! We almost did it! We almost made it through Hiatus Hell!_**


	30. Price of War

_**Hey everyone! Happy last hiatus humpday! This is another request by Rebel Spectre 6!**_

 _ **I apologize in advance for how short the chapter is. I had a really hard time writing this. Shout out to cassturn93 for being a big help on the beginning. This would not have been on time without your help! Thanks a bunch! :)**_

 _ **Without further ado, let's get started! Please read the AN at the end. It's kind of important.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:** As Rex fights for his life when a mission goes wrong, he begins to reminisce about the Clone Wars. Then the horrible truth hits him._

* * *

If there was one thing Rex hated, it was traps. As he gunned down trooper after trooper, he tried to keep calm, even after Ezra's shoulder was hit by a blaster bolt. As Zeb got the kid back to the Ghost, Rex went into a state of mind that he went into back in the Clone Wars when he fought the droid army, except these were not droids. They were Stormtroopers, flesh and...

That was when the horrible truth hit Rex.

* * *

"You okay?"

Rex jumped. He turned to find Ezra standing in the doorway. His arm was in a sling and he looked really pale from blood loss. Other than that, he seemed fine. "Yeah," Rex replied. "Should you be out of the medbay yet?"

Ezra gave a one shouldered shrug. "Probably not."

Rex gave a half smile. "Does Hera know you're out of the medbay?"

Ezra took a split second glance at the hallway behind him?

"Uh... No?"

Rex chuckled. "Not yet."

"Yeah, she's going to be pretty upset when she finds out I'm out of bed. Don't worry. I feel fine, but you know how Hera is once she gets into mother hen mode." Ezra sat down in the common room next to Rex.

Suddenly, a gloved hand clamped onto Ezra's uninjured shoulder. Ezra swallowed thickly. "Uh... Hi, Hera! How are you?"

"Back to bed," Hera said sternly.

"But I feel fine!"

"I don't care. You lost a lot of blood and you need to be resting."

"Okay! I'm going! I'm going!"

Ezra gave a dramatic sigh as he left the room and headed back towards the Ghost's medbay. Slightly amused at the teenager's antics, Hera watched him to make sure he got there before turning back towards Rex. Her face fell when she saw Rex's distant expression. "Something bugging you?"

Rex shook his head. "I'm just deep in thought. That's all."

"What is it?" Hera asked, taking a seat on the couch next to him.

With a sigh, Rex spoke. "Fighting this war is nothing like fighting the Clone Wars. I mean, I knew that already. We're fighting against a government rather than fighting to preserve it, but I fought droids back then Hera. Now, I'm fighting actual people. I'm fighting people with families. I know it sounds stupid but-"

"It's natural," Hera said. "That's the hardest part about war. Enemy or not, killing is killing. It doesn't matter the reason."

Rex sighed. "I agree. Sometimes, I wish we were fighting droids again. I can't believe I'm saying this, but think the Separatists were onto something with the droids. If they had used sentients, there would have been even more lives lost. The numbers now aren't as high as they were when the Clone Wars ended, but they're rising."

Hera nodded. "All the more reason to end this war quickly.

* * *

As Rex returned to his cabin on the _Liberator_ , he passed the bridge, where he overheard Vartoc and Sato talking.

"Commander, you need to reprimand Captain Syndulla. There may not have been any fatalities on our side aside from the injury of the little traitor, which I'm not counting, but the more Stormtroopers we remove from circulation, the better."

If Rex had the Force, he could easily sense Sato's well hidden rage. "I am sure, with all due respect General, that Captain Syndulla and her unit were trying to keep the losses down."

"I don't care! They're the enemy! They need to be destroyed."

"They're people, General. Enemy or not, they are people."

"You're really going to call those animals people? They act and think like droids!"

"But they aren't droids. I don't care what your orders are. We are here to defeat the Empire, not imitate it."

Rex gave a worried smile as he left, continuing to his cabin. Vartoc was certainly pissed but he was glad the leaders of Pheonix Squadron were willing to stand up to Vartoc. Sato was absolutely right. The day they sank down to the Empire's level was the day they lost the fight. The Stormtroopers had families. They had something the droid lacked. They had life. That was why Rex hated killing.

The price of war were costly enough without brutality from both sides.

* * *

 ** _Once again, I'm sorry for the shortness. It would appear I have contracted writer's block. Fun._**

 ** _Next chapter will sadly be the last one. I ask that you give me some time on it since it will be like a little prologue to the premiere. I may not get the see the premiere right away and I'm busy with Homecoming and our first Marching Band Contest next week so it may be another week before it is up. I will do my best though. I'll be really sad when this is over, but happy because Rebels will be back!_**

 ** _Also, this will probably be Vartoc's last appearance in this story. However, this isn't the last you've seen of General Jackass. He will return someday, whether or not you want him to!_**

 ** _With that said, see you guys after the premiere._**


	31. Reflection

_**Oh man... That premiere was AWESOME! So worth the wait! Sadly, that means this is the final chapter of Nightfall. It's short, but I did it on purpose. I never really intended for this chapter to be long. This is something I have been formulating in my head since we got that clip in July.**_ _ **Please read the A/N for some final remarks. In the meantime, enjoy this final chapter.**_

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _As Ezra prepares to lead a rescue mission, Hera reflects, taking us into Season 3._

* * *

"Why in Mustafar are we going after Hondo?" Sabine muttered. "Of all the people we could rescue, it had to be Hondo!"

"He helped us before," Hera pointed out as the _Ghost_ exited hyperspace.

"And then he betrayed us!"

"They were going to imprison him anyway," Hera replied. "He was probably trying to get off as easily as he could."

"That's classic Hondo," Ezra muttered. "All about profit. His intel should help us though...at least it better..."

"You do remember the details, right?" Hera said sternly.

"Of course I do!" Ezra told Hera. "My plans don't go wrong."

"You sound just like Kanan," Zeb chided.

"He's right Ezra," Hera added. "You can't get cocky."

Ezra shrugged as Hera slid down to the prison where Ezra and the others would jump.

After they left, Hera sighed. Kanan should have been the one leading the mission, but he had stayed on Atollon, feeling like he would only get in the way. It was a good thing Ezra was stepping up but it was a small miracle he was mentally able to.

A lot of things changed in six months. She had seen her world fall apart. Kanan was blinded, Ahsoka was killed, and Ezra was shattered to the point that he couldn't even speak.

It was four months before Ezra could speak again. Now, here he was leading missions.

Hera wanted to say he was recovered fully, but she knew she was wrong. Ezra was about as recovered as he was going to be. If his mental wounds were physical, then he would probably be worse off than Kanan was. The worst wounds leave scars, and Ezra had those scars. They would never go away.

However, Ezra had found a way to work around them. He came back from Malachor shattered and for a moment, everyone feared he was beyond repair.

However, Ezra had rebuilt himself. He still had cracks, but he was rebuilt.

Things were never going to be the same after what happened that fateful day, but when fighting a rebellion, one must always be prepared for change.

Hera dreamed of the day the Empire fell. The day that Ahsoka's death, Kanan's blindness, and Ezra's instability wasn't for nothing.

So as Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper landed at the prison, she wished them the best.

With new obstacles arising everyday, they would need it.

* * *

 ** _And that's that folks! We are officially done! I had a blast writing this story! Thank you so much for those of you who read, favorited, followed, and reviewed on this story! Also, thank you to those who suggested ideas. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm going to miss this story. It may be a while before the next one goes up but it will go up eventually._**

 ** _So, here's to Nightfall and to everyone who supported me throughout this journey! Thanks for reading!_**

 ** _Thief, out!_**


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